How we won the vote in California : a true story of the campaign of 1911

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How We Won the V ote

in California

A True Story of the Campaign of 19/ I

£y SELINA SOLOMONS

Ex-President Votes For Women Club of San Francisco

Author of "THE GIRL FROM COLORADO"

Cover Design by Elmer S. Wise

Published by

The New Woman Publishing Co.
773 Bay Street. San Francisco. CaL

PRICE THIRTY-FIVE CENTS

This is the sword in our hand, to fight for thy ultimate need :
This is the seal thou hast set, that we are thy daughters indeed!

Mary Austin.

^ ^

Two Voices arc there; one is of the Sea,

One of the Mountains; each a mighty voice:

In both from age to age thou didst rcjoic ,
They were thy chosen music, Liberty!

n t m^rs Wordsworth.

814^6

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in 2010 with funding from

San Francisco Public Library

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MISS SELINA SOLOMONS

Suffrage Reminiscences

The Brothers: "Have you not lifted up that veil of yours
today?" — Victor Hugo.

In this peerless dramatic poem is typified the martyrdom of
woman in her struggle for freedom throughout the ages. When
the sister confesses, "I loosed the swathing folds that bind me,
to let soft airs of noonday in," and pleads piteously for pardon,
the four brothers avenge their own outraged honor by stabling
hi r to d( ath!

X raily a quarter of a century ago, a small group of young
professional women — teachers, writers, physicians — formed at
the home of one of them the first suffrage club, as well as the
first woman's club, in San Francisco. For, although at that
time there was a state suffrage organization, and many bodies
of women were at work in the cause of charity, the church,
temperance, education — none of these went by the name of, or
were in effect — a "club."

Mrs. Ellen Clark Sargent the first president of the State
association, and leader of suffrage in California, had, many years
before, nobly upborne the banner of "woman's rights" with her
husband, Senator Sargent, who was minister to Germany, even
at the risk of loss of personal and official prestige in the con-
servative court circles.

It was at the home of Mrs. Sargent, during a visit to our
city of Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, soon after the birth of the
AVoman's Club of San Francisco, that the Century Club
came into existence. In the effort to attain social success this
club admitted to membership too large a number of merely fash-
ionable women, and so swamped itself at the outset, and failed
forever in the cherished purpose and aim of its founders.

Some years before, a small band of women reformers — too
far ahead of their time — calling themselves the "Social Science
Sisterhood," and making a heroic attempt to do the great things
that are now being done,, had been ridiculed out of existence !

This was not the fate of the Pacific Coast Woman's Press
Association, formed by Emily Tracy Swett, daughter of the

noted educator, John Swett, whose early death was a distinct
loss to us. That this organization still lives and nourishes is,
however, nowise to the credit of certain newspaper "men about
town. ' '

An institution modeled on the one in Boston — the Women's
Educational and Industrial Union — was also formed about this
time, and, with its various committees, for protection and
legal aid in the courts, classes and social entertainment 101
the workers, was doing a much-needed but uphill work. For
the extreme democracy of its aims, in admitting all women,
without any discrimination whatsoever, to its ranks, was not
understood or approved of by the average mind in the com-
munity at that time.

The Public School Reform Association, a temporary one
organized by Miss Millicent Shinn, then editor of the "Overland
Monthly," had succeeded in securing the nomination on the
Republican ticket of six women as School Directors. They
received a large vote, but were defeated — we always believed
"counted out." Though all the leaders were suffragists, they
were compelled, from motives of "policy," to deny the wdcked
purpose of "getting women into politics."

The first open meeting of the Woman's Club of San Fran-
cisco was held at a leading hotel, and addressed by a prominent
Unitarian divine, Dr. Horatio Stebbins. Mr. J. O'Hara Cos-
grave, now editor of "Everybody's," was present to report the
meeting in his society weekly, "The Wave." Yet, with such
excellent social countenance for our club, members took the
president aside, and begged that in her introductory remarks,
she would not say anything about voting!"

This fear of lifting the veil too high was not surprising, in
view of the state of public sentiment on the woman question.
It was just about this time that forty prominent women of the
W. C. T. U. had gone to the legislature to plead for protection
for young girls. Appearing before the Committee on Public
Morals, and stating that they represented fifty thousand women
of California, the chairman sneeringly replied, in words which
deserve to be handed down in the annals of our movement,
"Well, you are no more than fifty thousand mice! How many
votes can you deliver?" And the lawmakers all laughed heart Uj
at the joke!

Further insult stabbed these good women "in the side"
when this "brother." charged with the moral welfare of a great
commonwealth, though a man of vile personal character, bade

them "Go home, and look after your own girls. They may be
walking the streets for all you know!"

A little later, it was learned by the Woman's Club of San
Francisco, that its courage in placing an equal suffrage clause
in the constitution was to exclude it from membership in the
National Federation of Clubs, then just being organized.

Following the World's Fair in Chicago, and stimulated by
the wonderful congress held there in our cause, and the estab-
lishment of the International Council of Women, three con-
gresses were held in San Francisco, on successive years, and did
much to work up public sentiment for the campaign of 1896,
although suffrage was a tabooed subject on its program.

Susan B. Anthony and Anna Howard Shaw campaigned
the State for us in 1896, doing a wonderful work and winning
thousands for the cause. But the masses of the people in the
cities were still in a state of deadly apathy.

The writer at that time personally canvassed two San Fraa-
cisco precincts — one her own. inhabited by an intelligent, well-
to-do class, mostly Americans: the other in the "South of Market"
region of poor " working people, largely of German and Irish
extraction.

The same arguments against the amendment, when its
meaning was explained to them, were made by the men — when
they could be found — and by the women of both these localities,
except that in the latter the arguments were not couched in as
correct English. Quite a number of women in my own neigh-
borhood, innocently confessed their complete ignorance of the
amendment, and of the opinions of their husbands concerning it.
But they informed me, as though this would be a great relief
to my feelings, that they "knew he was for McKinley!"

There was little or no active opposition to encounter during
this campaign, as it seemed. So we took advice given us as to
not fighting our enemies — the liquor and other interests — in
the open, and "letting sleeping dogs lie !" But the sequel proved
that these watch dogs of privilege had been sleeping with one
tye open. Instead of barking they were- getting all ready to bite,
and on election day they bit !

The amendment was lost by about thirteen thousand votes;
for. although we had a good majority in the southern part of
the State, and throughout the country districts, the total against
us was as three to one in San Francisco and Oakland. This
adverse vote came about equally from the "upper and lower
slums" of these cities.

The evidence of this, obtained by the writer at first hand
by going over the records at the City Hall, was conclusive and
overwhelming. The total vote in the "North of Market" pre-
cincts gave the same proportion against us — three to one — as
in the despised "South of Market" precincts. It was not the
1 ' ignorant and the foreign vote ' ' that had undone us !

Discouraged by the defeat, and believing that indirect agita-
tion and education of women for the ballot was the best way
to work, the members of the Forty-First District Suffrage Club,
with a number of other women more or less interested in public
affairs, formed the California Club.

During the fifteen years of its life this club has achieved
much in reform legislation and civic affairs, by reason of its
social influence, and the ability of its leaders, notabiy Mrs.
Lovell White, who has been three times its President, and is
one of the most remarkable women in the State.

• But those who temperamentally and on principle prefer
"direct action" grew impatient at such slow progress in obtain-
ing the ballot — that great weapon with which to fight corruption
in the commonwealth and nation.

Mrs. Lillian Harris Coffin, leading member of the California
Club, and Chairman of its Civic Section, was one of these impa-
tient ones. And she gave the next decided impetus to our
movement by founding and presiding over the Equal Suffrage
League of San Francisco, which held its meetings in a down-
town hall, with a big bulletin board set conspicuously in front,
announcing them, and attracting many strangers.

Thus there wandered in one day Mrs. Katharine Reed
Balentine, daughter of Thomas B. Reed, of Maine, Speaker of
Congress, whose husband, an army officer, was stationed at the
Presidio. Participating in the meeting, and permitting herself
to be appointed on the literature committee, she modestly with-
held her identity until it was discovered by accident.

Our meetings took place on alternate Wednesdays, and one
of them was due April 18, 1906. But when that day dawned,
"the Lord in the earthquake had spoken;*" the sun "rose red
behind the Ferry tower," and we failed to meet! Golden Gate
Hall went up in flames, along with the greater portion of the
works of man in our city, and for several days thereafter we
scarcely knew or cared whether we should ever meet again in
this world.

However, we did meet two weeks later — the remnant of us
that had not fled from the stricken city — beside the real Golden

Gate that fire and earthquake could not touch, at the cottage
of the Balentines, in the beautiful Presidio reservation, near the
site of our Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915. Later we gath-
ered in church parlors, and at the time of Mrs. Ellen Sargent,
in the "unburned district."

When, soon after, the Executive Board of the California
Equal Suffrage Association appointed Mrs. Coffin chairman
of a state central committee, to have in charge the political
part of our work, Mrs. Balentine served as its secretary. She
was an invaluable worker, having been trained, as her father's
helper, in the old-fashioned school of statesmanship.

A young woman of exceeding loveliness of person and char-
acter, her somewhat heavy but softly-moulded form and features,
made an impression of power remarkably blended with the
delicacy, grace and charm of her voice and manner — gifts of a
mother from the South.

Besides her other services to our cause, Mrs. Balentine
edited and published, at her own expense, the first suffrage paper
on the Pacific coast, which she called "The Yellow Ribbon." To
our great regret, she was obliged to leave us some months later,
by order of the United States government.

But she still persevered in her efforts to help the cause.
Obtaining an interview with President Roosevelt, who had been
an intimate associate of her father, she asked him to interest
himself in the question of equal suffrage. AVhile admitting that
this question was looming large on the political horizon, he
pleaded that "public sentiment was not yet strong enough" for
him to do anything.

However, in answer to this, she urged it as his duty and
privilege, by virtue of the great trust reposed in him by the
American people, to throw the weight of his high office as
Chief Executive of the nation into the scale, for the furtherance
of this sentiment.

Another fast friend and ardent helper at this time of our
need was Albert S. Johnson, brother of the present Governor of
California, who was a member of the men's auxiliary of the
League. But in the fullness and perfection of manhood, he
was snatched from us, and from a world where he was so sorely
needed, by the ruthless hand of death.

The movement now began to gain likewise in social prestige.
At the suggestion of Mrs. Rachel Foster Avery, who had paid
us a visit, the first suffrage banquet — and I believe the first
banquet ever given by women in San Francisco — was held at

Thanksgiving time, under the auspices of the Equal Suffrage
League.

It proved such a success that the following year another
was given at the Hotel Fairmont. This was attended by over
one hundred men and women, leaders in every walk of life.
Toasts to "Our Country, a Demi-Democracy," "California, the
Next Free State," etc., were given by both men and women
speakers, a toast mistress being a decided innovation.

About this time a local branch of the College and Profes-
sional "Women's Equal Suffrage League was formed by Mrs.
Mabel Craft Deering and others. It held large meetings, open
to the public, with addresses by Mrs. Maud "Wood Park, of
Boston, and many of the college professors, and accomplished,
during the next two years, a fine work in its limited field, estab-
lishing chapters among the girls in both universities.

The so-called "graft prosecution" was at this time monopo-
lizing a large share of attention, and many of the most public-
spirited women of our community were diverted from suffrage
effort. A woman's branch of the League of Justice had been
formed, whose members proudly displayed their badge, ' ' Equality
Before the Law," and were intensely in earnest regarding their
propaganda for the conviction of the "higher-ups."

But we felt that "equality before the law" should mean
"votes for women," and that the word "suffrage" should have
been inserted before "branch." WTith only "indirect influence"
we were still ' ' no more than fifty thousand mice ! ' '

Without the Portal

11 Room, sirs, room within your councils; bare your forehead if
you can,

For behold, without your ported, stands the mother of the man!"

— Hall Cairn .

Franklin Hitchborn. a San Francisco newspaper man, has
written the long story of the California legislatures of 1909 and
1911. Ours is a short story of three legislatures, including the
one of 1907. and it begins the year before, after the earthquake
and fire, when our State Central Committee, under Mrs. Lillian
Harris Coffin, began its work of securing votes for the women
of California.

This work was begun at Santa Cruz, where the State Repub-
lican convention was held, and where, at the same time, the
so-called "insurgent movement" in California was born.
Abraham Ruef. who is now paying the penalty of his wrong-
doing— and that of others — in State's prison, was then at the
height of his power as "boss" of the Republican "machine,"
and completely controlled this convention.

Ex-Governor GUlett was then a candidate for the highest
office in the State. He approached Mrs. Coffin one day on the
beach. "I am James TV. Gillett," he said, introducing himself
to her. "I know who you are. and what brings you down here.
I wish to tell you that I am in sympathy with that object, and
should I be elected Governor, will do all in my power to help
you in getting your measure through."

The attempt to have the suffrage amendment made part of
the platform by the usual procedure of getting it reported
favorably by the Resolutions Committee failed at Santa Cruz,
as was to have been expected. But we secured the endorsement
of the Democrats at their State convention.

TVhen the legislature met. early in 1907. Mrs. Coffin went
up to Sacramento, accompanied by Mrs. Helen Moore and Hon.
Thomas E. Harden, whose services had been retained by the
State Association. At this first of the three legislatures, we

8

succeeded in getting "the spectacular vote," which we had been
getting ever since our defeat in '96. This meant that suffrage
was not yet really an issue.

As none of the lawmakers believed that his party or per-
sonal interests could be served in any way by our success, neither
ourselves nor our measure was taken seriously. But we were
'.'nice ladies," said Mrs. Coffin, and had to be pleased, so these
polite statesmen administered to us from time to time doses of
"soothing syrup" of their own special legislative brand, not
guaranteed by the pure food and drugs act!

This was the way they did it.

Grove L. Johnson introduced the bill in the Assembly, and
Senator Leroy A. Wright in the Upper House. Later on the
same day, in both houses, it was lost, and only saved from final
defeat by reconsideration. In the Senate it had been printed,
"accidentally," on ar other man's file, and was thus "sprung"
suddenly on the House. The roll call was then taken, without
a chance to debate, while our lobby was busy in the Lower
House, and lost by a large majority. Senator Wright, with great
presence of mind, moved for reconsideration.

Later it was won in the Lower House, Grove L. Johnson,
with reluctance, moving for reconsideration there. But this
victory meant nothing, as the solons had slated us for slaughter
in the Senate. It was allowed to pass in the Lower House as
the final sedative which was to quiet us for the time being.

After the success in the Assembly the fight was resumed in
the Senate, and lasted until the end of the session. The gentle-
manly legislators tried their best to get rid of us decently, but
the lobby hung on "like leeches" it was said, purposely delaying
having the measure brought to a vote, so as to have a better
chance to carry it, as they thought, until it dawned on them
that as fast as one vote was gained another was lost.

The cause of this strange phenomenon of "statecraft"
developed later.

Mrs. Coffin then called on Governor Gillett in his private
office in the capitol building, to reassure herself as to his sup-
port of the bill, according to promise. The gentleman, without
asking her to be seated, looked up at her insolently as he leaned
back in his elegant arm chair. In a voice loud enough to be
heard by nil tlie men loungers outside, be declared his antag-
onism to the suffrage measure, and advised Mrs. Coffin herself
to "go back home," where she belonged!

When reminded by that lady of the interview at Santa
Cruz, and his voluntary pledge made there witnessed by Mrs.
Mary Simpson Sperry, president of the State Association, and
recorded in the minutes of the report to that body by the com-
mittee, the Chief Executive of the great State of California
sneeringly replied, "0, I was only fooling."

Realizing that in view of this little temperamental weakness
of the Governor with reference to suffrage pledges, further
effort would be simply a waste of time, the lobby secured a call
of the House, and went down to defeat, lacking but two votes!

These two. however, constituted the spectacle which had
been rehearsing for our benefit during the entire session. In
accordance with our former role in the council halls, these "mis-
representatives" had been making us victims of the "cat-and-
mouse" game, and had also been playing another amon.srst
themselves — that of "puss in the corner." For, in plainer lan-
guage, they had been "switching votes" in such a manner that
the measure was always kept below the passing point.

Again, in 1908, the State Central Committee tried to have
the amendment introduced into the political platforms. And
again it succeeded with the Democrats, and failed in the Repub-
lican convention. This was held in the city of Oakland, and
there we had the first and only suffrage parade in California.

We marched to the hall on the first day of the convention,
three hundred strong, with Mrs. Coffin at our head. A most
beautiful banner, hand embroidered, in rich-colored silks, with
the shield of California, and its appropriate emblem, for us, of
the woman "Eureka." was carried by Mrs. Theodore Pinther,
who had donated her work of months to the State Central Com-
mittee. Vehicles were halted, and the inhabitants gazed open-
mouthed at so unusual a sight.

This time we were given a hearing in the Resolutions Com-
mittee, which treated us with consideration, two minutes of time
being allotted to each of the eight speakers. However, we were
not permitted to know the result, but were kept in suspense
until the very last moment of the convention.

Meanwhile, this body had been putting through its pro-
gram— and killing time for three days — with high-flown and
long-winded addresses to the gallery — which was us — padded
out Avith platitudes and trite poetical similes such as "sun-kissed
southlands and snow-clad summits." sentiment and fancy pre-
dominating and facts nowhere ; laudins: to the skies as saints and

10

heroes men who had done nothing whatever for the common
good!

When, just before adjournment, the report was read, show-
ing that our bill had been lost "in committee," the chairman,
as though to "sop" our disappointment, but with a tinge of
irony in his tone, called for "a vote of thanks to the ladies,"
for their attendance and interest in the convention.

The syrupy compliment had its effect in "soothing" us
California women into a state of partial paralysis! Not so Mrs.
Pease, of Utah, a visitor and voter. With great presence of mind,
she advanced down the gallery steps, and with arm outstretched
for silence, in a big, resonant voice that matched her portly
presence, called out, "In the name of the women of California,
I beg to decline your vote of thanks ! ' '

Paralyzed in their turn by this unexpected "nerve" shown
by one of "the ladies" were the gentlemen of the convention
of the floor below, while the gallery resounded with the wild
applause of the "women."

The result of all this was that when the legislature of 1909
convened, the suffrage amendment found itself a half-orphan!
No man cared to father it, for those who were making an honest
fight for other reform measures felt that they would endanger
these by so doing. Those opposed to us, on the other hand, real-
ized that we could no longer be "fooled" by the "spectacular
vote. ' '

This time Mrs. Coffin had taken a big lobby up to the
capital, opening up home-like headquarters under the care of a
house-mother, Mrs. L. Campbell, of that city. A large number
of women from "around the bay" came up in relays, remaining
for a few days, and having their places taken by others. It was
a fair primary education for them in the tactics used in our
State council halls, where man, according to Kipling, gathers to
confer with his fellow-braves and uplift his erring hands in
worship to abstract justice.

From the first it was evident we had no chance to win.
The insurgents, of whom Assemblyman Drew was the leader,
had failed to secure any part of the "organization," being left
out of all important committees, and therefore completely on
the outside. A special ruling was made that no lobby should
be permitted on the floor of the Assembly. It was aimed par-
ticularly at the women, and during the entire session they were
never permitted to be present.

11

Some of the legislators tried to sidetrack our movement by
promising to support a bill for municipal suffrage, if we would
modify our demand to this extent. But the subject had long
since been thoroughly thrashed out at our own councils, where
we invoked that God of Abstract Justice, and decided that in
His name we would insist on the whole loaf of political equality
or no suffrage bread at all.

The anti-racetrack bill came up just before ours. It was
a bitter fight to get this bill through, and when it passed the full
venom of the vicious element that feared the women's vote was
poured out on us and on our bill. The day it came up the floors
and galleries were so packed with disreputable men that there
was no room for the women!

In Mr. Hitchborn's book it is shown that this legislature
was even more machine-ridden and corrupt than the previous
one had been. It did not scruple to resort to ostracism, intimida-
tion and blackmail to gain its ends. Many were the tragedies
enacted among the men themselves ; friendships of years broken,
and all considerations of honor and sentiment that make human
lives holy, trampled under foot.

Thus the women fared little better, or little worse, and
as their sister of the Orient, were many times " wounded in the
side" by brutal stabs. One "brother," in the course of his
insulting tirade, declared that "the majority of women are bad."
During the recess he was disciplined, with the result that at the
afternoon session he rose, and asked for special permission to
speak again, so as to retract his statement.

A splendid effort of five weeks had been made, led by our
gallant captain, Mrs. Coffin. Then orders were sent out from
the "powers that be" to "turn those women down hard, and
send them home. And let them know they were turned down!"
Every vote that could possibly be influenced was taken from
us, and the result was a most crushing defeat.

But this defeat had its advantages. It was a true showing
of the sentiments of the honorable body of lawmakers, and we
knew now just where we stood. Moreover, it was the costliest
victory ever won by the opposition. For Mrs. Coffin, in pursu-
ance of her policy, had forced them to abandon their neutral
position, come out from under cover, and line up as enemies
of our cause.

Every woman of that lobby went forth as a suffrage mis-
sionary. Mrs. Coffin and Mrs. Moore campaigning the State,
and telling everywhere of the corruption in the legislature. At

12

the next convention of the State Association, in the city of Stock-
ton, Mrs. Coffin told for the first time the story of the treachery
of James W. Gillett.

The story was taken up by the press, and caused a sensa-
tion. Not because of the selling out of the women, for that,
alas, was nothing unusual ! But that a woman should have the
courage to come out on the public platform and tell of it — that
was the astonishing thing!

Mrs. Coffin's motive was not a personal one. She wished
to have the women who had been sold out, as well as the corrupt
politicians, realize that no man, even though he sat in the seat
of the mightiest in the commonwealth, could with impunity
betray us ! James W. Gillett ivas not renominated!

, In the Republican convention of 1910 we were at last suc-
cessful in getting our resolution into the party platform. For
by this time insurgency, which was always favorable to us, had
become strong enough to control the convention. The Los
Angeles delegation was composed largely of progressives; like-
wise Santa Clara county, and these two together outnumbered
San Francisco, which had lost in its voting population since- the
great earthquake and fire. We had the men whom we had
worked with for five years as a mighty bulwark for the support
of our resolution.

This year, however, we did not get the Democratic conven-
tion endorsement. The reason for this apparent anomaly was
simple. The " machine" forces which had heretofore dominated
the Republican conventions now concentrated its strength on the
Democratic platform. And the "machine" was now, as it had
always been, opposed to equal rights.

When, in 1911, our lobby arrived at the capital, it was
joined by a delegation of "antis," who for the first time had
organized, and were lobbying, in California. The contest between
these opposing forces among the women themselves afforded
much amusement to the press of the city. Our measure was
always referred to as the "militant issue of woman suffrage,'*
as it occasioned more interest and excitement than all the rest
put together.

The large suffrage lobby was led by Mrs. Coffin, chairman
of the Legislative Committee, and actively aided by Mrs. Arthur
W. Cornwall, Mrs. Agnes Ray. Mrs. Charles Farwell Edson,
Mr*. Shelley Tolhurst, .Mrs. Mary T. Gamage, Mrs. Elizabeth
Gerberding, Miss Maud Younger. Mrs. Louise La Rue, and many
other prominent suffragists from organizations all over the State.

MRS. LILLIAN HARRIS COFFIN

13

The good looks, handsome gowns and "feminine tactics" of

hese ladies were noted by the papers as being in marked con-

rast with the "old-time shriekers for the ballot!" These young

men reporters had never laid eyes on one of the noble women

pioneers whom they thus designated, but their comments were

interesting as proof that we had "arrived!"

Many efforts were made to cloud the issue. Senator San^
ford, our notorious enemy, introduced a bill which would refer
the question to the women of the State at a special election.
Although clearly unconstitutional, this bill was in a fair way to
carry, when it was defeated by the clever tactics of Senator
Julliard.

Governor Johnson kept the promise made during his cam-
paign, and although many of the members tried to wriggle out
of supporting the amendment, declaring that they were not
bound by the party platform, he used his influence to prevent
them from throwing the suffrage plank overboard.

Governor Johnson's platform was meant to stand on, and
he stood on it, and held the others there, until the suffrage plank
was carried.

Senator Bell, of Pasadena, proposed our amendment, pledg-
ing his best efforts to secure its passage, and never did public
servant more honorably fulfill his trust ! Through five weeks of
unceasing toil he faithfully guarded our interests.

Likewise to Lieutenant-Governor Wallace, and to Hon.
Frank C. Jordan, Secretary of State, we were deeply indebted
for the great success of our amendment. It came to vote on
January 26, the debate being led by Senator Lee Gates, noted
orator from the South, and carried with the sweeping victory of
thirty-three to five !

It was then substituted, as a Senate measure, for the Assem-
bly bill introduced in the Lower House by Assemblyman Cat-
tell, who was Speaker pro tern., and in him we found the same
whole-souled loyalty that Senator Bell had given us. With the
active assistance of Speaker Hewitt, we repeated the same splen-
did majority in the Senate, the vote there being sixty-five to
twelve. The progressives had redeemed their pledge!

The amendment gave an extraordinary impetus to Sacra-
mento journalism. It was said that floods of oratory had carried
t to victory on an "insurgent wave." This flood it seemed was
luite literal with regard to one Senator, who was said to have
wept at his own eloquence." The small minorities tickled the
ress. "Five poor, quaking Senators, with faltering voices, and

14

hearts beating like trip hammers, voted 'no.' " "Only a dozen
in the brute class," these comments read.

The Record called "Votes for Women" the "three small
words which constitute the biggest question in the political world
today." The editor was willing to take his chances on being
put "down cellar," the place of mere man, according to the
"antis," under the new order of things. However, it added,
"as woman's day dawns through the mists, it becomes oniy too
evident that under this new order it will be man's wash day!"

The lawmakers themselves contributed to the gaiety of the
population. McDonald, of San Francisco, asked the Speaker,
plaintively, whether he believed there were "fifty-four men
in that Assembly weak enough to be 'led around by the nose' by
women ! ' ' Schmitt, of the same city, deplored ' ' placing the
commonwealth in the hands of women, and feared for "those
institutions which we (Schmitt & Co.) have built up and main-
tained all these centuries ! ' '

One might imagine that the commonwealth and its institu-
tions were in the nature of a delicate gold watch which the
rash and playful sex were likely, in a fit of sportive abandon, to
smash to smithereens upon the rock-bound coast of California.

His high opinion of women also induced Mr. Schmitt to
warn them of the law compelling them, in the event of their
becoming voters, to give their true ages (which law has since
been abrogated by the men themselves) and said that the amend-
ment should be called "an act to promote perjury."

A much higher opinion of our sex, and a lower one of his
own, was seemingly entertained by Mr. Curtin, who stated that
he and the rest desired, out of their "great love for women, to
keep the ballot from them, lest they be regarded as men regard
men ! ' '

It was this Senator who had propounded the famous conun-
drum: "Why is a political platform like that of a railway
train f Because both are meant to get in on, but not to stand
on!"

But it was March, of Sacramento, who perpetrated the best
bit of self-satire. Lamenting that "these women want to drag
the white skirts of their sisters through the dirty political pool,"
he ended most pathetically, "when I said something to them
about the sac-redness of home, and woman's high pedestal, they
replied that they did not want to hear about such things!"

But now we could well afford to smile at all this. For the
first time in sixteen vears the "mothers of men" in our State

15

had been heard in their plea that these men should decide
whether they should forever remain "without the portal," or
be given "room within the councils."

Great rejoicings marked the event. A large banquet was
held in the South, at which all our "insurgents" and true pro-
gressives and representatives were present. The Suffrage
Amendment League of Oakland gave a luncheon at the finest
hotel, on the auspicious date of Susan B. Anthony's birthday,
and the great work accomplished by Mrs. Lilian Harris Coffin
was acknowledged by the gift of a silver loving cup!

16

Before tke Battl.

"We who lead in this movement today are not new. We
are of the race of women whose priestesses had their shrines
in German forests, and gave out the oracle of peace or war.
Tlie old spirit stirs within us yet; the cry of the old, free,
Northern woman makes the world today. In oar dreams we
still hear the clash of the shields of our forebears, as they
struck them together before battle, and raised the shout of
Freedom!" Olive Shreiner.

Thanks to our brave sisters across the sea, in that island
where first among modern nations the spirit of liberty was
born, the magic words "Votes For Women" had gone around
the world with an electric shock and thrill. It seemed the
psychological moment for our movement in California.

The Votes-For-Women Club of San Francisco was the
outgrowth of the need of agitation among that large class of
self-supporting women heretofore hardly approached. The at-
tempt of the Equal Suffrage League to have the Women's
Trades-Unions, of which there existed three independent ones,
affiliated with us, had fallen through.

Early in the year 1910, a large loft was secured in the
choicest portion of the retail shopping district, at 315 Sutter
Street. Here headquarters were fitted up. with rest and read-
ing-room, leaving a large space for the refreshment of the
inner woman, 'with a tiny kitchenette at the lower end.

A tempting and nourishing luncheon was served, with all
dishes except the meats, and including such delicacies as French
artichokes and mayonnaise, for five cents. Most of the girls
spent but fifteen cents on their lunch. It was served <>n the
"buffet plan," the patrons helping themselves from the large
tables and sideboard, as at an English countrv-house break-
fast.

During the year three different sets of cards were prints 1
and circulated in all the stores and offices U>v n radius of
several blocks. We attracted by this means a very superior

17

class of the women workers, who greatly enjoyed the freedom
and social atmosphere of the place. Some were already ardent
suffragists, but had never been, or known how to be, affiliated
with the movement.

Others were easily won over to the cause, when coming
into personal contact with our workers. But there was the
"rub"; for the home-keeping class of women found it hard to
"chop" the two or three hours out of the middle of the day,
to give us. Many of the girls came from a distance, had but a
few moments to eat their "quick lunch," and had to be caught
"on the fly," as it were.

All help was voluntary, with the exception of the cooking,
dish-washing and janitor work. We had no endowment, and,
naturally, there was no profit in serving the luncheon ; for,
though the cost of living continued steadily to soar, our prices
did not rise with it.

A goodly supply of suffrage literature found its way to
our reading-table, and was judiciously distributed to the girls.
The walls were decorated with English posters, which proved
highly attractive, holding them spell-bound, as soon as meeting
their gaze. A beautiful plaster cast of Susan B. Anthony was
presented by Mrs. Ellen Sargent to the club.

A Men's Auxiliary was formed, the members of which paid
any sum they pleased into the treasury. Men of all classes
joined this auxiliary. Dues for women members were three
dollars a year. Deserving of special mention for loyalty to
the unfashionable aims of the club, for active help in its work,
and moral and financial support, were Mrs. Mary McHenry
Keith, Mr. Raphael "Weill. Mr. L. E. Blochman.' Mrs. Ettie
Blum, Mrs. Alice Park. Miss Laura Musto, Miss Florence
Musto, Miss Margaret Xicolls, Mrs. Geneva Wale, Mrs. Lavina
De Rackin, Miss Ray Wolfsohn, Miss Clara Trouette, Mrs.
Hanna Otis Brun. Mrs. Mary Gottlieb, Mrs. Laura Smith. Mrs.
Bessie Carpenter. Miss Mary Leigh, Dr. Alice Woods. Mr.
Gustave Lenoir, Mrs. Otto Irving Wise, Mrs. Ella Costillo Ben-
nett. Nathan Dohrman & Co. We had the honor of claiming
Mrs. Dora S. Crittenden, of San Francisco, only survivor of
the Seneca Falls Convention, on our honorary membership list.

We opened on that happy day for us. February 15th. cele-
brating Wh birthdays with a "Yellow Tea." held afternoon
and evening. Distinguished strangers from all over the world
were attracted by our handsome gilt sign at the entrance to

18

the building, as well as reformers and progressives of our owa
community, who made the club-rooms their rendezvous.

Will Irwin, the writer, was captured on a flying visit to
his home city, and gave a strong talk to the business girls at
the noon hour. Miss Agnes Murphy and Miss Aimee Moore,
two charming English suffragettes, were guests at an open
meeting and tea in their honor. Miss Murphy relating her own
personal experiences in the movement.

Mrs. Emily Hope, of Australia, president of the Woman's
National League, entertained us with a delightful discussion on
political conditions in her own country, which showed her to
be a perfect mistress of her subject. Mrs. James Lees Laid-
law, of New York, and many others, came to the club-rooms
and expressed their great interest in its unique work.

Many entertainments were given by the Club for the pur-
pose of publicity, and to help in the funds. A Human Flower
Show proved, as we had claimed, that the offspring of suffrage
women were the finest in the community. A Suffrage Bazaar,
the first in California, was held just before the Christmas holi-
days. One interesting feature of this was an exhibit of revo-
lutionary relics and family heirlooms, all owned by our suf-
fragists who thus proved that they had come lawfully by their
freedom-loving instincts !

In the fall a Congress was held, at which the burning
questions of the day were discussed by the best local speakers,
both men and women, all treated in their relation to equal
suffrage. "How the Vote Was Won" was performed for the
benefit of the Votes-For- Women Club by the Girls' Club, a
large social settlement of San Francisco.

The press of the city gave us columns of space for these
affairs, whether because, as one of the women reporters con-
fided to us. our doings were "newsy stuff," or because "votes
for women" was now an interesting issue with the public.
A full-page article in the Bulletin by a special writer nearly
"swamped" the lunch-room.

The celebrated census of 1910 being taken in the early
days of our existence as a club, we decided to make ;i protest
;iL!;iinst it. On consulting with our attorneys, all pronounced
it without doubt unconstitutional. The threat to punish as a
crime the refusal to submit to this inquisition into our private
affairs struck us ;is most arbitrary and mi- American in spirit

19

So the officers of the club refused to sign, and held out
until the officials had paid repeated visits to our headquarters
to plead and remonstrate. They asked which of the questions
we objected to, and it seemed difficult to impress upon them
that it was the principle we objected to, and not the ques-
tions !

Meanwhile the matter had been well ventilated in the press,
and scores of women declared they would have followed our
example, had we held out. The officials, doubtless, were well
aware of this danger, and their anxiety on this score was much
deeper than their concern as to the possible deafness of our
grandmothers, etc. !

Had we not had a more immediate and important purpose
to fulfill, we should not have surrendered, which action on our
part might have led to a test in the courts, and results of
national importance.

Another mild militant maneuver was planned when we
found that a huge placard had been placed over the entrance
to the remains of our City Hall, which read. "All Citizens
Must Register." With malice aforethought we "gave away"
our intention to the press on the evening before!

Arrived on the scene, our small brigade found a regiment
of police lining the long flight of steps, while on the sidewalk
in front was a goodly gathering of reporters with their cam-
eras, and other onlookers. Soon it was noised about that the
Registrar had fled by a back street to escape us. But his
deputy was in the office, so we filed upstairs.

Here we found the young man all ready for us. and in
answer to our request to be registered, in accordance with the
sign, he produced a copy of the code of California, and read
to us the clause containing the objectionable word which we
intended taking steps to eliminate.

We informed him of our knowledge on this point, but
insisted that the sign should be changed to read correctly, and
the word male inserted there, as in the code. Moreover, we
desired by this means to know definitely, whether or not we
were citizens, a point which we confessed' had always both-
ered us !

By this time the place was filled by a crowd of about one
hundred "bums" and loafers, w-ho listened with all their ears,
the broad grins on their countenances soon changing to respect-
ful attention: and after delivering a good suffrage lecture to

20

this impromptu audience, with a few minor symposiums on the
side, we left, well satisfied with our little "suffragette stunt."

The need of the ballot in the hands of the women of the
community in bettering conditions, more especially in regard
to "the social evil," was amply proven by the Votes-For-
Women Club in the course of its career. A petition signed by
hundreds of business men to the Mayor had resulted in estab-
lishing a number of cafe-dives in what was called the "New
Tenderloin. ' '

Within a few blocks of our club-rooms, and immediately
adjoining the municipal courts, the infamous men for whom
the English language has no name, were watching like wolves
for the underpaid and underfed working-girls at the noon and
dinner .hour.

Daily and almost hourly true tales were told us in confidence
by our own girls of insults offered to themselves or their com-
panions by department store managers, or pretended employers
advertising in the papers for "stenographers." A flagrant
instance of this latter method was a flourishing firm of
"agents" occupying offices in the Pacific Building.

All particulars and details of these deplorable conditions
were furnished us, yet we could do nothing, for many rea-
sons. Scarcely a day passed that the papers did not chronicle
the case of "one more unfortunate." And the cases that were
never chronicled — !

One of these, that recalls Hood's poem in almost, every
line, was that of a Swedish immigrant, "young and fair,"
scarcely able to speak our language, who, while searching for a
place as domestic servant, had been approached by a strange
man, who offered to help her.

She was led to a cheap eating-house, drugged, and the next
thing she knew, awakened in a low lodging-house in "Barbary
Coast." Her "pure womanly" instincts revolting at "the stain
of her," she managed to escape, and wandered where the
"lamps quiver" on the fronts of the houses of sin, and on the
ferry-boats in the harbor.

Faint and "weary of breath," "homeless by night," and
meeting only with renewed offers of "help" of which she now
knew the awful mockery, she dragged herself to the 1<>p of
Telegraph Hill, and "swift to be hurled anywhere, ;my\vhere
out of the world," pitched headlong into the night!

21

But her dress caught on a bramble -rowing from a pro-
jecting ledge. She was "taken up tenderly" by a patrolman,
and in the public hospital, on recovery, told to the attendants
her "pitiful" and tragic tale.

Another failure in self-destruction was the occasion of
rivinc to the world a story hardly less heart-rending A
country girl had been lured from her horn,- some years before
by one of these male monsters "of the species. At a Low
resort frequented by their class one night she ^met her young
sister of sixteen, who had been taken— a second lamb from the
fold — by this same w^olf.

She sought out the creature and upbraided him with his
dastardly deed; but he only mocked at and taunted her. lhe
limit of' human endurance was reached. Her own horrid late
she had learned to face with dull resignation. But black despair
clutched the heart that still beat in her breast at the thought
of the younger girl— her own flesh and blood— and alone again
in her wretched lodging, she placed a pistol to her temple!

The Votes-For-Women Club of San Francisco sent out a
call to all the women's organizations in the city, for delegates
to form a "Woman's Committee of Protection," to take ag-
gressive action for the abatement of this terrible evil. It met
with a most heartv response, the "Native Daughters of the
Golden West," for' instance, offering delegates from every one
of their twenty-seven local parlors.

Mrs. Rose M. French, who had been engaged in social
service for a quarter of a century in San Francisco, was Chair-
man of this Committee, which was to be an independent body,
with full powers to act, and with the weight of all the
organizations represented, behind it. Mrs. French had been
among the band of women from the W. C. T. U.. who many
years before had been informed by the Chairman of the Public
Morals Committee of the legislature that the women of Cali-
fornia were "no more than mice."

In the way of her work for women and girls, Mrs. French
had served for several years as special police officer, without
pay; she had founded the California Training Home for Girls,
and her wide experience and knowledge of the law. and the
procedure of the courts, made her the best fitted of all the
women of the community to undertake the delicate and diffi-
cult work planned by this Committee.

22

A number of meetings were held, with "closed doors," and
most interesting revelations were made as to the shocking state
of affairs, and the great need of such an organization. Sub-
committees were appointed, and active work in the courts be-
gun, when the nearness of the campaign for the Amendment
obliged us to discontinue.

An incident that occurred during this year was highly
significant as showing the trend of the times. Miss Anne Mor-
gan, daughter of the man who is called the "owner of Amer-
ica," by virtue of his enormous and inconceivable wealth, in
the course of a flying visit to the city, arranged with one or
two of the leaders of the working-women to hold an informal
meeting at the Palace Hotel. Uniformed guards were sta-
tioned at the entrance to the hall, and admitted none but
unionized working-girls, and these few leaders. Reporters, to
their utter disgust, could get no further than the red plush
couches in the corridor.

After two or three' short talks by men labor leaders,
urging the formation of a Women's Trades Union Label
League, Miss Morgan gathered the girls about her, while the
rest of us stood in the background, and questioned them
minutely as to the conditions of their employment, the factory
legislation in California, etc.

It was a sight to fill the heart of a "visionary" and social
"crank" with joy. This American Princess — not of dollars
alone, but of beauty, intellect and soul — glanced from one to
the other of the foreign-born toilers, whose squat and stunted
figures were clad in shabby clothing, with the most genuine
interest, in her kindly hazel eyes.

They, on their part, seemed to bridge at one stride on the
plank of a common humanity, which she threw to them, the
social gulf that yawned between.

The "swell society" women of San Francisco, "Blinsrham"
and Belvedere would doubtless have been "dee-lighted" to have
entertained the heiress at a series of "functions." But they
wore not given the opportunity, for next day she had vanished
from our midst.

The Votes-For-Womon Club of San Franicsco had by the
time of the passage of the amendment, as the result of its year
of work, enlisted the support of a very large number of the
wage-earners and self-supporting women of San Francisco, who

23

were carrying the gospel of suffrage into their business offices,
often converting their employers.

Truly we had raised the battle cry !

24

The Quest of tke Star

'For who would live so petty and unblest
That will not tilt at something ere he die —
Bather than in the lee of multitudes
Preserve his little life to little ends
Within the shelter of monotony?
• ••••••

And in the quest of his imagined star,
To lose all thought of after-recompense"

— John Galsworthy.

Progressive work in San Francisco is beset with peculiar
difficulties, not due alone to its cosmopolitanism, and lack of a
common ethical standard. The chief obstacle is the "floating
population," which does not here apply to a part, but nearly
the whole ! For westward the course of migration takes its
way, and we have flotsam and jetsam from all parts of the
globe.

These birds of passage and victims of "wanderlust" are
of all species and varieties; from the touring rich and idle
class, the many gypsy tribes — commercial and otherwise — to the
true tramp type, including the demi-criminals and derelicts,
moral and mental, just on the border of respectability, as well
as the veritable "crook" and "confidence man."

Restless as the great ocean and the winds that sweep across
it, this great tide of "floaters" drift in and out, swearing their
love to the city by the moon — always related to tides! — and
truly does their love prove "likewise variable," for by the next
change of that orb they have set out for Honolulu, Mexico, or
Alaska !

At the time of the passage of the Amendment there were
already in existence in the community a number of suffrage
organizations, to which were now added several new ones. The
Club-Women's Franchise League, destined to do a large and
important work among a class not heretofore identified as they

25

should have been with the movement, had its headquarters in
San Francisco's most fashionable hotel, the St. Francis.

The Woman Suffrage Party of California, formed on the
same lines as the one in New York, had for its president Mrs.
Elizabeth Gerberding. It secured offices rent-free in a large-
down-town building. When later Mrs. Gerberding was obliged
to go East, the leadership was assumed by Mrs. Helen Willesey

Hall.

The College Equal Suffrage League now widened its work
and its membership, admitting women of all classes. By this
stroke of policy, and from the fact that its leaders were trained
in their collegiate bodies, its work was rendered most effective.
It occupied handsome offices facing Union Square.

The State Association had taken up its quarters in the
Pacific Building, on Market Street the chief thoroughfare of
the city. Thus our movement had now five different clown-
town headquarters, and Union Square, with two of them, might
almost be said to be surrounded by suffrage.

The Wage-Earners' League, which had heretofore lan-
guished, was now revived under the leadership of Miss Maud
Younger, and Mrs. Edward H. O'Donnell as President, under-
taking to secure the "labor vote" for the Amendment. It met
at the headquarters of the San Francisco Labor Council.

The Equal Suffrage League of San Francisco, and the Susan
B. Anthony Club were the local branches of the State Asso-
ciation. The former held its meetings in the up-town head-
quarters provided by Mrs. Ellen C. Sargent. Among its best
and ablest workers were Dr. Mabel Anthony, Mrs. Amelia
Barilla, Mrs. Frederick Diserenz, Mrs. M. Galehouse, Mrs. E. J.
Callan, Mrs. M. McCroskey, Mrs. A. G. McCarthy. Mrs. M. H.
Jackson, Mrs. H. M. Giusti, Mrs. Bernard Sinsheimer, Mrs.
John W. Felt, Mrs. Ernestine De Velbiss, Mrs. John R. Tyr-
rell. Mrs. Adaline Kaiser.

The president of the League, Mrs. Mary T. Gamage, was
likewise chairman of the very important county of San Fran-
cisco for the Organization Committee of the "State." Under
her direction a large number of city districts were canvassed,
her assistants performing this so often thankless and drudging
work most faithfully.

Mrs. Augusta Jones, Mrs. Martha Pearse, Mrs. Ethel P.
Weiller, Miss Eva Deutsch, Mrs. C. K. Lambie, Mrs. D. R.
Fritz, Mrs. Florence Hartell, Mrs. Lucretia Watson Taylor,

26

Dr. Harriet Welch and Mrs. D. K. Farr were members of the
League, whose indefatigable efforts in this important work of
the personal canvass of the voters produced fine results on
election day.

Mrs. Gamage, during the past highly important six years
of suffrage effort in the state, has devoted her entire time, her
fine abilities and social gifts to bringing the happy day of
woman's freedom. Her father, Samuel Harding, was a pio-
neer settler and prominent Republican politician of San Fran-
cisco.

For the last two years Mrs. Gamage has filled the impor-
tant position of Treasurer for the State Association, guarding
well its funds, and helping to replenish them by her own
strenuous efforts. She has led or participated in almost every
branch of the work — legislation, finance, social affairs, litera-
ture, propaganda, etc.

The Susan B. Anthony Club was the oldest suffrage club
in existence at the time of the campaign, and its membership
consists chiefly of the older generation of women, many of
them pioneers in the movement. It confined its activities dur-
ing the campaign to the raising of funds, and in other ways
supplementing and assisting in the work of the State Associa-
tion.

Mrs. Mary Simpson Sperry, who had for seven successive
years led the State Association as its president, was now at the
head of the Susan B. Anthony Club, which she and Mrs. Ellen
Sargent, her lifelong friend and companion, had originally
established. The seven years of service for her sister-woman
have been more happily rewarded in her case than in that of
Jacob of old, who had to serve an additional seven, to attain
the object of his desire!

Mrs. Nellie Holbrook Blinn. mother of the noted actor, who
for years had inspired and guided the activities of the Susan

B. Anthony Club, had passed away in the summer of 1909.

Mrs. Fannie L. Kellogg, Miss Isabel Munson, Mrs. Fran-
cesca Pierce, Mrs. Lloyd Baldwin. Mrs. North Whitcomb, Mrs.

C. C. Baker and Mrs. E. J. Pringle are other able women and
workers of this club.

The largest organizations " across the bay" were the Suf-
frage Amendment League of Oakland and the Berkeley Politi-
cal Equality Club.

11

The name of Mary McHenry Keith is so closely associated
with the latter, and in fact with the entire suffrage movement
in California, that it is almost impossible to write or speak of
one without the other! A college woman and a lawyer. Mrs.
Keith by her unselfish devotion, her keen logic of tongue and
pen, has made converts by hundreds in the "intellectual cen-
ter," and has been given there the title of "mother of suf-
frage in Berkeley."

Headquarters in a handsome home on one of the finest
avenues in the college city were established by Mrs. Keith and
maintained at her own expense for the latter months of the
campaign, with Mrs. Hester Harland as manager and chair-
man. A beautiful silken suffrage flag attracted the attention of
the students who passed daily. Besides its many social and
other activities, this club made a most thorough canvass of all
Berkeley precincts during the campaign.

Among its best workers were Mrs. L. E. Blochman, Mrs.
Louise Xarjot Howard, Mrs. Elinor Carlisle, Mrs. C. C. Hall,
Mrs. Mae Wilson. Mrs. James B. Hume. Mrs. M. E. Jaffa,
Mrs. John F. Swift. Mrs. Walter S. Brown. Mrs. Geo. A.
Haight. Mrs. Aaron Sehloss and Dr. Lucy Slocomb.

The Oakland League, as its name implies, had done excel-
lent work for several years under the able leadership of Mrs.
Agnes Ray. It had gotten out a handsome calendar for 1911 —
the only one published on the "coast" — and participated
largely in the different legislative lobbies.

The city of Oakland, with its two hundred thousand inhab-
itants, which gave so poor a result in the previous campaign,
was one of the hardest fields to work in northern California.
The League made its chief work that of presenting the subject
of suffrage to every organized body in the community. And as
there are a great many of these, it was a work of magnitude !

The modus operandi was to write to these religious and
fraternal orders, charitable and humane bodies, improvement
clubs, etc., etc., and ask for a few minutes at one of their
regular sessions. The zeal and tireless devotion of a small band
of workers brought about excellent results in this field.

Mrs. Agnes Ray. Mrs. Sarah C. Borland. Mrs. Frances
Williamson, Mrs. Emma Shirtzer. Mrs. Jean Kellogg. Mrs. F.
M. Murray and Mrs. F. Harlan bore the greater part of the
burden and are to be credited with the fine results in this
difficult field.

28

Other minor leagues and clubs did good work throughout
the campaign, especially the local branches of the College Equal
Suffrage League.

Prominent workers in these were Mrs. Ella S. Greenman,
Miss Carrie Whelan, Dr. Minora Kibbe, Mrs. Isabel Johnson,
Miss Caroline Jackson, Mrs. Nellie Blessing Eyester, Mrs.
Josephine D. Mastick, Mrs. R. J. Marchant, Mrs. Alice Hunt,
Mrs. M. L. Norman and Mrs. Alma Kower.

The Club-Women's Franchise League was a state organi-
zation, and did most effective work in various lines throughout
the campaign. It was founded by Mrs. Lillian Harris Coffin,
who became its first Vice-President, and Chairman of the
" Publicity Committee." It had for its president Mrs. Arthur
W. Cornwall, one of the foremost club women of San Fran-
cisco, who has the credit of initiating and carrying to victory
a number of local enterprises in the cause of civic progress.

Mrs. Coffin was likewise state organizer for this league,
and conducted tours which resulted in the formation of local
branches in all the chief towns in northern California. Their
"whirlwind" campaign began September 11th with men poli-
ticians for speakers, brass band and "red fire," at monstrous
mass-meetings.

The League had a number of specialties, one of which was
the circulation of a petition in regard to the amendment; an-
other their campaign button, which bore only the "trade-
mark" Amendment 8. The press and publicity work was along
regular political campaign lines. At the close of the campaign
the League had enrolled (without dues) twenty-five hundred
members, both men and women.

The League had on its large list of men vice-presidents,
such names as Luther Burbank, Congressman Kent. Dean
Gresham, Milton U'Ren, Barclay Henley, Isidor Jacobs, Senator
L. W. Juillard, Honorable Frank Otis, Frank Gould, Emil
Pohli, Rev. Charles Lathrop, Dr. Carl Renz, Fred Howard, A. L.
Johnson, Judge Sweeney. Mr. Rufus Steele, Mr. Frank Gale,
Dr. Preston and Rev. Shields.

Among its women helpers, chairmen of committees, and
vice-presidents thron.o-hont the state, of which there was a very
lanre number, must be mentioned Mrs. Nellie Scovill.', Mrs.
Clara A. Barrett. Mrs. E. L. Sceombr, Mrs. Alice B Spencer
Mrs. Elia G. Williams, Mrs. J. D. Connell, Miss Cora May
Mrs. Hazel S. Johnson, Mrs. Rufns Steele, Mrs. Helen K

29

Williams, Mrs. Eleanor Swasey Mclnnis and Mrs. Harry Hen-
shaw.

Of its list of sixty-one women vice-presidents throughout
the state, the following must be mentioned-: Mrs. William Kent,
Mrs. Aylett R. Cotton, Mrs. Chas. Blaney, Mrs. Agnes Bay,
Mrs. Mary L. O'Neill, Mrs. Jacob Brant, Mrs. Florence
Schram. Mrs. Wm. J. Drew. Mrs. W. Holmes, Dr. Cora Snow-
den, Mr.. Timothy Guy Phelps. Mrs. Marcella Cerf. Mrs. Carl
Renz, Mrs. .Emma Hotzj Mrs. M. E. Tuttle. Mrs. Alice McBean,
Mrs. (harl.s Craws. Mrs. J. C. Hull. Mrs. R. C. Boyd, Mrs
Harriet Melnnis and Mrs. Frank L. Otis.

The College Equal Suffrage League was likewise a state
organization, and independent of the California Equal Suffrage
Association. However, it co-operated, as did all the clubs and
leagues, with the "state." in all branches of the work. It
claimed one thousand members, and had large and effective
committees.

Among its ablest and most indefatigable workers were its
president. Miss Charlotte A. Whitney, a young woman of the
finest femininity, much personal magnetism, and great executive
ability, Mrs. Constance Lawrence Dean, Mrs. Ernestine W.
Black. Mrs. Louise Herrick Wall, Mrs. Londa Stebbins Fletcher,
Mrs. Mabel Craft Deering. Miss Cornelia McKinne. Dr. Adel-
aide Brown. Dr. Millicent Cosgrove, Mrs. Lloyd Osbourne and
Mrs. Genevieve Allen.

Mrs. Alice Park, as founder and president of the Votes-
For- Women Club of Palo Alto, had done splendid work through-
out the county, the seat of a large, wealthy and cultured popu-
lation. A new club was formed there, with Mrs. Mary F.
Rosebrook as president. Other workers in that region were
Professor Lillian J. Martin of Stanford, Mrs. Emily S. Earns
and Mrs. H. Heneyman.

Miss Sarah Severance, a pioneer of the Susan B. Anthony
type, now aged and ill, nevertheless was the head and front of
the work in San Jose, the county seat of Santa Clara County,
which returned such a fine result for the amendment.

Other fine workers in San Jose and Santa Clara Countv
were Dr. Jane Bowen. Mrs. Irma Whitney. Mrs. A. T. Herman,
Mrs. Laura J. Watkins. Mrs. Helen F. Williams. Rev. Edwin
H. Williams. Mrs. Rose L. Stevens, Miss Ida M. Coates. Miss
Rowena Beans and Dr. Amy G. B. Hittell.

30

In Stockton we had many fine workers, including Dr.
Minerva Goodman, Mrs. Marie Riemers, Mrs. G. S. Easton,
and Mrs. M. H. Gillis. In Fresno, which gave so good a ma-
jority for the amendment, we had Miss Breeze Huffman, Mrs.
F. A. McMahon, and others. In San Diego we had Mrs. Kath-
arine Read Balentine and Dr. Charlotte J. Baker.

In Alameda Mrs. Isaac N. Chapman, Mrs. T. H. Speddy,
Mrs. Frank L. Otis, and others led the work. In Marin County,
Mrs. Chas. Christensen, Mrs. Louisa Mann, Mrs. J. F. Russell,
and Mrs. Elizabeth Shubert. In Santa Cruz, Mrs. Alice
McBean, and in Sacramento Mrs. Lillian C. Hough, were most
prominent in the work of carrying the Amendment.

In Chico, Bakersfield and elsewhere Mrs. Florence N. True,
Miss Catherine Cole, Mrs. Alfred B. Jordan, Mrs. Caroline
Cunningham and Mrs. L. A. Williams are deserving of men-
tion.

Besides all these individual workers of the suffrage organi-

I zations we had the help of a large number of persons not

directly connected with these, who threw the weight of their

| personal influence for the Amendment. "We had likewise the

: endorsement of practically all the large bodies of women, and

of men and women, in the state, the Social Settlements, the

W. C. T. LT., the Humanitarian and Civic Betterment Leagues,

the Socialists and Single-Taxers, the State Federation of Clubs,

the Labor Unions, the Native Daughters.

Mrs. Beaumelle Sturtevant Peet, Mrs. Lovell White, Miss
Eliza Keith. Mrs. Susan Theall. Miss Elizabeth Ashe, Miss
Rachel Wolfsohn. Miss Ina Coolbrith, Mrs. Emilia Tojetti. Mrs.
Alfred Black, Mrs. James W. Orr, Mrs. Hannah Nolan, Miss
Fidelia Jewett, Mrs. Minnie Andrews. Mrs. Josephine Monaghan,
Mrs. Leonore Kothe, and Mrs. E. P. E. Gray are a few of the
leaders of these organizations who co-operated most enthusiast-
ically with us.

The two leading organizations of the south were the Politi-
cal Equality League of Los Angeles, and the Votes-For-Women
Club.

Mrs. Clara Shortridge Foltz, president of the latter, has
conducted a "thirty years' war" for women in the state of
California, and the many reforms she has instituted in its code
of laws have given her the nickname of the "Portia of the
Pacific."

MRS. CLARA S. FOLTZ

31

When a mere girl she sued the Dean of the Law College,

compelling him to admit her as a Btudent, and thus vindicating

te right of women to enter the legal profession, and leading

) the wider provision that no one should be debarred from

unstring any lawful occupation because of sex.

In New York many years ago she tested in the courts that

abominable practice in vogue at all the "swell" restaurants

nd hotels throughout the country, of refusing to serve belated

and respectable women coming alone, and branding them as

humoral.

Continuous, active and sleepless work was done by the
officers and members of the Votes-For-Women Club in Los
Angeles. Mrs. Foltz journeyed at her own expense through the
length and breadth of the state, speaking in towns, sheep
ranches, cross-roads and mining camps. The services of the
entire staff of her law office were likewise contributed to the
campaign, thousands of letters, pamphlets and leaflets being
sent out all over the state.

Mr. John H. Braly was the founder and president emeritus
of the Political Equality League of Los Angeles, which, like
the Votes-For- Women Club, was in existence an entire year
before the passage of the amendment. It had a Board of Gov-
ernors, as well as an Executive Committee.

Ten thousand columns on the files attest the splendid
results of the press department of this body, under the chair-
manship of Mrs. D. L. McCan. Every item that could possibly
make a newspaper story was utilized. Personal interviews were
held with all persons prominent in the community, and letters
written to notables in all parts of the world.

The Los Angeles "League" maintained large and elaborate
headquarters in the Auditorium Theatre Building, with stage
and gallery facilities. Meetings were held every Saturday, pro-
grams being varied, and tea served free of charge.

Mrs. Seward A. Simons was president, and Mrs. E. K.

"Foster, Mrs. R..L. Craig and Mrs. K. S. Vosburg. vice-presi-

fs. Mrs Shelley Tolhurst was chairman of Speakers, Mrs.

i R. Haynes of Finance, Mrs. Charles Farwell Edson of
ganization. On the Board of Governors were, as is proper
n an equal rights body, both men and women.

32

Mrs. C. D. Blaney, Miss M. F. Wills, Mrs. John R. Haynes,
Mrs. Robert D. Farquhar, Mrs. A. W. Rhoades, Mrs. C. N.
Sterry, Mrs. John P. Jones, Senator Lee C. Gates, Senator Chas.
W. Bell, Judge Waldo M. York. Judge W. S. Harbert, Parley
M. Johnson. Herman Jahns, Seward A. Simons and T. E.
Gibbon constituted this board.

The California Equal Suffrage Association, which has had
so long and honorable a record for many years and in all
previous campaigns in the state, and with which the names of
Mrs. Ellen C. Sargent, Mrs. Caroline Severance, Mrs. John F.
Swift, and other pioneers had been so closely identified, was
fortunate in securing Mrs. Elizabeth Lowe Watson to lead it
and the cause to victory.

Mrs. Watson is the heroine of another thirty years' tear for
women, and has in her own life demonstrated the world-wide
motherhood that is to be the type of the future. Coming to
California in 1878. she was made preacher for the Religio-
Philosophical Society, and fostered from the platform those
mfant causes of equal rights* peace and temperance so much
neglected by the world at large.

Meetings were held at the Metropolitan Temple, San Fran-
cisco, which was often filled to the doors by those who came
to hear the eloquent woman speaker, one of her sex being a
rarity indeed at that time. Mrs. Watson is pre-eminently an
orator, the power of her rich voice, the idealism of her thought
raising her audience to a high plane of vision of the future.

For two years this remarkable woman, now just rounding
out her "three score and ten," has been devoted, body, brain
and soul, to the work of winning the amendment. She is
writer, organizer, leader, as well as speaker; and one remark
able achievement of hers in the campaign was a trip througl
the Sacramento Valley, speaking to large audiences for twenty-
three consecutive days.

In California we do not speak of a "state-wide," but a
"state-long" campaign, ours being one thousand miles in
length. The entire northern portion was covered by the State
Association, while the southern organizations took that part
"south of the Tehachapi" as their field.

Mrs. Helen Moore, who had for three years been in charge
of the local organization work under the State Association, was
now appointed chairman of this committee for the entire state,

33

the local branches in the different counties assisting in the work
of organizing all over this immense territory.

Early in the campaign an Int it- Association Conference had
been called, representing all the different clubs and leagues
around the hay. It held semi-monthly meetings at the offices
of the College League. delegates presiding in turn. To take
part in these councils was a privilege, and gave one renewed
vim and inspiration for the fight. The strictest parliamentary
forms were observed, and not a moment of our precious time
wasted in idle compliment or discussion. AVe were very prac-
tical idealists in those days.

34

The Spoken Word and the
Printed Page

A Word spoken in due season — how good it is!

And the Lord said unto Moses, "Wherefore criest thou unto
me? Speak to the Children of Israel, that they go forward."

Sylvia Pankhurst, daughter of the great English leader,
happened to be making a flying tour of the coast, early in the
month of March. She was secured by the Woman Suffrage
Party, and under its auspices a lecture was arranged for, in one
of the largest halls of the city.

It was the only paid lecture of the campaign, and probably
the only suffrage address ever given in San Francisco, for which
an admission fee was charged. Yet the hall was crowded with
an eager throng when this slender, pale slip of a suffragette told
her thrilling tale of suffering endured in prison c_ells, at the
hands of the brutal mob, and under horses' feet — were not these
dumb brutes more merciful than men !

Suffering such as this, which only fine natures can know,
well deserves to be termed martyrdom. Yet it had all been
borne by this young, frail girl — only one of the many heroines
of the English women's crusade, for the sake of an ideal —
theirs and ours as well! The great audience listened for two
hours with rapt attention and bated breath, to the moving recital,
paying the tribute of a silence too deep and solemn even for
applause.

And truly did it seem that the soul of every woman present
must have been stirred by this noble example to at least some
slight effort of true self-sacrifice in the same splendid cause of
her fellow women, and of the world's progress!

The next to speak that "good word" was Dr. Chas. F. Aked,
just from the East, whence his name and fame as pastor of
Rockefeller's church had preceded him. His first appearance was
at the Savoy Theater, which had been secured by Mrs. Elizabeth

35

Gerberding for the use of the suffragists: It was filled to over-
flowing by an immense, and very fashionable audience, many
of whom having been turned away from the church on the pre-
vious Sunday, were eager to h ar the noted divine on any subject

whatever, even Votes for Women!

Whether these persons fell rewarded and became converted

or not. the remainder were deeply impressed and greatly edified
by the strong and convincing presentation of the subject given
by Dr. Aked. Characterizing the American woman as the con-
summate flower of the ages, he yet tempered this tribute with
the warning words, "If she now neglects to take advantage of
the opportunities opening up to her, she will find herself Lagging
behind the women of so-ealled backward European countries."

At another of these theater meetings the mayor of the city.
Mr. P. II. McCarthy, and a number of leading labor union offi-
cials— Edward Xolan, Andrew Gallagher, Will J. French, and
others, avowed from the platform their fullest sympathy and
advocacy of our cause.

Father Joseph Gleason. coming all the way from Palo Alto
for the purpose, made it clear in the course of his scholarly and
interesting address that despite the current notions to the con-
trary, the Catholic Church as a body has never been opposed, but
on the contrary has favored, the emancipation of woman.

Rabbi Martin H. Meyer, on this same occasion, also delivered
an able discourse, asserting that the spirit which would deny to
woman entire equality was the same, whether consciously so or
not, with that which confined her in harems — that of the brothers
in Hugo 's verses, ' ' The Veil ' ' !

Rev. Meyer preached several suffrage sermons to his con-
gregation, the chief in wealth and social prestige on the Pacific
Coast, and he even instructed the little girls of his confirmation
class on the subject, bidding them prepare to vote. A native
son of San Francisco, he is true to his American ideals and to his
spiritual ancestry.

His ardent idealism and humanity, however, caused him to
be unpopular with certain high financial pillars of his church
and late in the campaign it was rumored that he was to be
"muzzled. " Since then the big business stick has descended upon
his head in the form of anonymous letters, calling on him to
resign.

But the Reverend Martin H. Meyer says he will continue
to love his neighbor as himself, in other words, to preach "rad-
icalism." He has not yet resigned.

36

Many other ministers of religion, of all denominations and
creeds were on onr side, some of them long before the campaign.
Among these were, in San Francisco and vicinity : Rev. Wm.
Day Simons, of Oakland; Rev. Hugh. Clampett, Father Sesnon
and Rabbi Jacob Xieto.

Another fiery champion and zealous supporter was Mayor
J. Stitt Wilson, of Berkeley, who spoke continually during the
campaign, and declared that were it not that his official duties
forbade, he would have "stumped the state" for us. He is
justly regarded as the ablest orator on the Pacific Coast.

Albert H. Elliot, a forceful and witty speaker, who has for
the past six years on all public occasions spoken for us, now in
the time of our need, did not fail us, but placed his services at
our disposal throughout the entire campaign, despite the de-
mands of his large law practice.

Other attorneys who spoke the good word for us were Mr.
Thomas E. Hayden, Otto Irving Wise, Alfred P. Black, Austin
Lewis, E. P. E. Trov, E. R. Zion, George S. Knight, Daniel
O'Connell.

To Dr. David Starr Jordan, of Stanford University, we were
indebted for strong and repeated endorsements by voice and
pen, which carried with them the weight of his scientific erudi-
tion and literary reputation. He furnished one of the most
•irrefutable arguments that has ever been advanced for our
movement.

This was to the effect that the great object and ideal of
democracy is not to attain a perfect form of government, but
to develop in men and women the power of self-government!

To be mentioned on the roll of honor of our "Men's Aux-
iliary7' were Captain Evelyn Baldwin, Mr. Max Popper, Mr.
Aaron Sapiro, Judge Jas. G. Maguire, Mr. Jas. H. Barry, Judge
Isidor Golden, Judge Cabaniss, Dr. Paul Campiche. Mr. Edward
Dupuy. The last two named gave addresses to the French
population.

Among our best speakers were some of the women whose
abilities had been developed by the exigencies of the campaign.
Mrs. Etta Blum was one of these, showing to the surprise of her
friends and herself, oratorical talent of a high order. Mr*. Mary
T. Gamage spoke frequently, on one occasion to an impromptu
crowd at the ferry.

Lucretia "Watson Taylor, daughter of her mother, has an
exquisitely feminine charm of manner that makes her peculiarly
winning as a pleader for her sex. The marvelously rich voice

37

of Mrs. Ida Finney McRille penetrated to the furthest limits of
the crowd.

Constance Lawrence Dean and Ernestine W. Black arc fine
types of our "native daughters." Both are possessed of marked
talent as speakers, as well as writers.

The strong and fiery utterances of Mary Fairbrother ap-
pealed to the radical element of her hearers, while Alice Park's
straight-from-the-shoulder logic won the thoughtful "man in the
street."' Mrs. Rose M. French was our spellbinder, with her
simple story of work done for the welfare of the world, without
the citizen's right of the ballot, as with hands tied behind her!

Towards the end of the campaign, we had reinforcements
from outside of the State, Mrs. Alma Lafferty, member of the
Colorado legislature: Mrs. John Rogers, of New York: Mrs. Mary
Stanislowsky, of Nevada: Mrs. Catherine Waugh McCulloch;
Miss Gail Laughlin: Miss Helen Todd, Miss Margaret Haley,
Mrs. Helen Hoy Greeley, the last four named remaining with
us to the end.

Even a greater power than the spoken word is the written,
or printed one, and we availed ourselves of this greatest agency
of civilization, which was said to have "won out" for the women
of Washington. To an almost incalculable extent, the prepar-
atory work for this most effective campaigning had been done
in the years that went before by Mrs. Alice Park, of Palo Alto,
in her capacity as chairman of literature for the State Asso-
ciation.

For several years "after the defeat," the "State" printed
nothing but its annual program, depending on the "National"
for occasional consignments of literary matter. The plans car-
ried forward so successfully in this campaign were the result of
a slow, steady growth from that time. Mrs. Park's leaflet,
"AYoman Under California Laws" proved immensely popular.
Like mother's cookies it could not be kept on the shelves, the
supply running out again and again.

Mrs. Rose M. French assumed charge, during the campaign,
of this most important of all the work, for the State Association.
Under her able direction, editing and supervision, nearly three
million pages of printed matter went out all over the State.
These dealt with every branch of the subject, and California
used more literature — both sold and given away — than any other
State has ever used during a campaign, even considering its size.

Some were compilations, others reprints, and a few original.

38

It was the policy of the association to undertake the making
and printing of the literature and to sell the same at cost, allow-
ing local clubs to pay for supplies, which they would then dis-
tribute free to individuals.

Gold, the California color, was a fine modification of the
yellow selected far from her borders years ago, as the suffrage
color, and we used every shade of it. By the close of the cam-
paign no yellow paper or cambric was left in the stores of San
Francisco or Los Angeles !

"Why California Women Want to. Vote" proved a favorite
subject, naturally; and as we had about a thousand reasons we
could always invent a few new ones for the extra editions that
were called for from time to time !

Headlines were chosen with care, instead of the ordinary
non-committal titles. We had, for instance, "Jane Addams
Wants to Vote," which carried a certain message, even to those
who read no further. The approval of our literature was gen-
eral and hearty. Editors copied the pages entire without com-
ment, and speakers in halls and on street corners made its infor-
mation and argument their own !

Special leaflets to suit their purpose were issued by the
College E. S. L., the Wage Earners and the Club Women's
League. The Votes for Women Club used a quantity of the
National literature, a large portion of which was sold again at a
small profit, so as to pay for itself.

A large number of copies of Mill's "Subjection of Women"
were purchased by Mr. L. E. Blochman, and placed on reading
tables at summer resorts all over the State.

From the "National" came large quantities of the leaflets
in foreign tongues, and we made good use of these in our great
cosmopolitan center, though the bitter irony of the appeal to
the ignorant immigrant to permit us a voice in the land of our
forefathers made some of the more militant ones among us grit
our teeth as we passed it 'round !

A fine leaflet with many original ideas, published by the
Woman Suffrage Party was the work of Ella Costillo Bennett,
author of the poetic version of "Abelard and Heloise. "

About the most effective of all our printed pages, however,
was the "Opinions of Eminent Local Catholic Clergy." gotten
out by the State Association for the use of the special committee
for ibis work under the chairmanship of Mrs. TChoda Ringrose.

The plan pursued was an entire innovation, it being the first
time that such work has been done in any state campaign.

39

Other leaflets used also for this purpose of the propaganda were
the address by Reverend .Joseph (Jleason and a paper by Dr.
Margaret Mahoney, entitled "Catholic Women in Civic Life."
With the help of a large committee from the College League
and other individual workers, the thirty-six Catholic congrega-
tions of San Francisco were covered several times over, and the
propaganda reached every single adherent of that faith. The
workers were at the doors of the churches at the early mass — ■
six o'clock in the morning — and at all others, standing for hours
with their literature, many of the business girls giving up their
entire Sunday to this work.

The Bishop had been appealed to by letter, at the beginning
of the campaign, to permit the subject to be taken up in the
pulpit. He refused consent to this, but the prohibition proved
a benefit to us, as it prevented any priest who was opposed
preaching on the other side !

Besides overseeing all the work in San Francisco, Mrs.
Ringrose made three separate trips into the interior, and helped
by women there, each working in her own town or mission, cov-
ered this large field also, distributing the general literature as
well, to all the inhabitants who were of this faith.

Mrs. Constance Dean, as chairman of the "college commit-
tee," Mrs. Augusta Jones, Miss Mary Fairbrother. Mrs. Dorothy
Harnden. Mrs. Lavina De Raekin, Mrs. Martha Pearse, Mrs.
Frances Gibson, Mrs. John Tyrrell, Mrs. M. H. McCroskey and
Miss Sara Taylor, were a few of those who. quite regardless of
their own personal religious affiliations, helped to accomplish
this work.

As chairman of the literature committee of the Political
Equality League of Los Angeles. Miss Louise D. Carr distributed
one million leaflets and sixty-five thousand pamphlets to indi-
viduals, fraternal orders and conventions.

Several original suffrage songs were composed and printed
especially for the California campaign. Charlotte Perkins Gil-
man contributed one. sung to the tune, "Buy a Broom." and
others were written to the stirring martial strains of the "Battle
Hymn of the Republic" and "Marching Through Georgia," re-
spectively.

Postcards proved good printed — or pictorial — propaganda.
Original ones were issued by the Political Equality League of
Los Angeles, the Berkeley "Club," the Club Women's "League,"
and the "Votes for Women Club" of San Francisco. One of
these had our own "Five Star Spangled Suffrage Banner," with

40

appropriate verses, paraphrased from the original, another was
a striking picture of the ' ' Woman Voter Purifying the Political
Pool."

Many original limericks, parodies and humorous skits were
composed, and published in the papers. A suffrage version of
"Reuben and Rachel" was written and acted by members of the
College League on their tours of the country towns. Several
other dramatic sketches were written, but not published.

In response to a demand for a suffrage play with local set-
ting "The Girl from Colorado, or the Conversion of Aunty
Suffridge," was written during the summer by the president of
the Votes for Women Club of San Francisco and published by
the club. In order to make the playlet more effective as prop-
aganda the happy result was prophetically anticipated !

A poster contest was conducted by the College League, the
sum of fifty dollars having been donated for a prize, for which
a large number of the best artists of both sexes competed. Miss
Bertha Boye was the successful one, her poster representing a
woman of the California-Spanish type, clad in Indian draperies,
standing against the Golden Gate as a background with the set-
ting sun forming a halo around her head.

There were many equally beautiful designs, some even supe-
rior in life and vigor, in the estimation of the public, who saw
them at an exhibition held for three days in the leading art
store. The Political Equality League of Los Angeles held a poster
contest also, Julia Bracken Wendt contributing the heroic figure,
"Liberty, Equality, Justice."

Elmer S. Wise, a schoolboy of fifteen, presented to the Votes
for Women Club a poster full of spirit and spirituality, which
has been brought "up to date," as shown on the cover of this
book.

Some of the English posters, published by the Artists' Suf-
frage League of London, were most effective as pictorial propa-
ganda. "Factory Acts," "Justice Demands the Vote," and
others were great favorites.

Decorations and emblems held by no means a petty place in
our publicity work. The Votes for Women Club had "made in
California" with a special original design in poppies, a very
dainty pin, similar in size and style to the popular fraternity
pins. This sold readily for twenty-five cents to the young busi-
ness girls and men, who did not care to be "conspicuous" by
wearing a larger pin.

41

A very neat button in white and gold was manufactured for
the "State," of which nearly fifty thousand were disposed of,
being sold at five cents each to individuals, and to organizations
at cost, one cent each. We had previously worn the English flag
pin, and all the different buttons we could get hold of. Towards
the end, the glad-to-be-martyrs to the cause even adorned their
dressy corsages with the white Votes for Women "dinner

plate"!"

We had pennants likewise to suit all tastes, from the hand-
some hand-made ones in black felt letters on old gold ground
sold at seventy-five cents, for office and home decoration and
printed yellow felt ones at thirty-five cents each, to the cambric
ones at five cents. Cambric banners were used on automobiles.

When carried "accidentallv" through the streets from one
headquarters to the other, or for some other ostensible reason,
these pretty pennants and bannerettes attracted just the right
kind and amount of attention. On the day of our big mass
meeting Mrs. Mary T. Gamage carried an enormous and very
beautiful silk pennant through the entire length of Fillmore
street.

The San Francisco Morning Call, with its full-page editorial,
in script, published early in August, rendered perhaps the most
signal service to suffrage that has ever been performed by the
press of the United States.

Part of this splendid tribute ran: "Woman's jewels paid for
the discovery of a new world, and a newr freedom. Woman's
hands have woven the banner of a new civilization, built its
temples, and kept its altar-fires burning. Woman's mind and
soul have inspired every crusade " of religion, patriotism and
morality since humanity began to walk upright, and see God
behind the stars. . . . but when the election bonfire burns,
and the voting shack, that ark of the m-asculine covenant, is set
up, then she reverts to squawhood. . . . The Call wants a
share in the righting of this ancient wrong. . . . Put a cross
in the right place: the Yes place. And put woman in her right
place! ... "

This good example was followed by the Los Angeles Herald,
which in its next Sunday's edition devoted the same amount of
space to the same theme, in the same finely daring manner.
Numbers of papers in all the large towns came out with long
and favorable editorials.

The San Francisco Star, a weekly periodical of progress,
had for a quarter of a century — all the time when suffrage was

42

taboo — strenuously and persistently sought to right this ancient
wrong. James H. Barry is its editor and publisher

The Bulletin was most favorable to us. The Daily News, one
of the Scripps Syndicate, had ever since its establishment, after
the earthquake, been entirely sympathetic. The ''Argonaut," al-
ways the consistent organ of special privilege, was. of course,
strongly opposed, as was the Los Angeles Times, the latter being
even more bitterly "anti-agonistic."

The work done with the press of the state for three years
before the campaign by Mabel Craft Deering, in her capacity as
chairman of this department for the State Association, was inval-
uable. Mrs. Deering is a magazine writer and former newspaper
woman, and she was able to make her experience tell in this work,
volunteering her own services and enlisting the support of hun-
dreds of minor newspapers throughout the state.

During the campaign she continued to serve in this capacity,
both for the "State" and the College League, and much of the
matter appearing in the Examiner and other papers through-
out the campaign was dictated by her.

Fine press work was done by the Berkeley League, Mrs.
Mary McHenry Keith keeping the papers there piping hot with
suffrage news, and by other organizations. Ella Costillo Bennett,
Mrs. Orlow Black and others used their pens freely in every
sense to preach and teach the cause.

From the date of its famous editorial, the Call gave over its
entire ' ' Woman 's Page ■ ' to the cause of the amendment, articles
unedited and illustrated by photographs being contributed by
women of all classes, many of whom had never before in their
lives appeared on the "printed page." These articles naturally
attracted a great deal of attention.

Among newspaper men to whom we were indebted for the
written word urging the people to "go forward" were Ernest
L. Simpson, Fremont Older. Edward F. Cahill, John H. Barry,
Robert J. Burdette, F. Marriott, Theodore Stanton, Harry
Cowell.

The women reporters, with scarcely a single exception, were
most sympathetic. Many were of the greatest assistance, the
excellent work in their stories and write-ups being done in an
earnest spirit of zeal quite aside from the particular editorial
policy of their respective papers.

Among them must be mentioned Bessie Beatty, Annie
Wilde, Caroline Singer, Vivian Pierce, Helen Dare, Pauline
Jacobson, Hortense Russell, Helen K. Williams, Euphenia C.

MRS. ROSE M. FRENCH

43

Tompkins. Special writers such as Mary Calkins Brooks, Laura

Bride. Powers, Ella G. Sexton, Amelia W. Truesdell, besides the
well-known women authors, such as Gertrude Atherton, Miriam

Michelsen, Mary Austin. Ina Coolbrith, we had "always with us.''
And the same was true with regard to the men of letters,
and. in fact, those eminent in all domains of art. science and
philosophy. Prom those at the summit of fame: Henry George,
called in derision, "the prophet of San Francisco," and rated
now as one of the greatest minds of the nineteenth century;
Luther Burhank, the "wizard" of the plant world; Mark Twain,
considered the most truly representative of all American writers
to Joaquin Miller; David Starr Jordan, Frank Norris, George
Sterling, Jack London — we challenge the "ant is" to mention one
distinguished name that has come out of California — one man
or woman truly great — who has not been a friend of equal rights !

44

Anti'

cs

Lot Power with encrimsoned hands

The blood draught of his shambles sips;

And Justice at her altar stands
And stammers with polluted lips.

Geo. Sterling.

Before the whirlwind campaign had fairly opened. Miss
Minnie Bronson alias "Dr.," had come from the south and taken
up quarters at the St. Francis. She refused to debate (a wise
decision on her part!), as it was to be "an educational campaign"
— to teach women the folly of wanting to vote!

This truly startling program was not carried out — a negative
one of that nature being somewhat difficult to execute, one would
imagine ! Later Miss Bronson removed to haunts more congenial
to one of her scholastic temperament, in the college town, and
contented herself with writing for the press.

In the summer it was announced that the wife of the presi-
dent of the university had headed the list of Berkeley "antis."
This lady is not a Californian, any more than is Minnie herself.
Mrs. Max Sloss, a resident of Boston, whose interests are entirely
with her class, was induced, late in the campaign, to give her
name as leader of the "organization" in San Francisco.

The deliberations of this body must have been held in secret,
as we learned very little about them, nor was the smallest initia-
tive taken by them in action. Miss Bronson 's boast that she
would speedily gather a fine force of the best representatives of
her sex in the region around the bay, was proven hollow as a
drum.

The fact was that the brains and ability of the women of
California were already enlisted on the side of suffrage, in over-
whelming proportion.

Mrs. Forse Scott, hailing from New York, held forth from
the platform a number of times, her most "forse-ful" argument
— in her own case at least, strikingly correct — being the assertion
of the physical, mental and moral inferiority of women !

45

Miss (Jail Laughlin later in a rousing and witty speech to
fifteen hundred persons at Scottish Rite Hall, "burned up" the
lady to a cinder for this shameless abuse of her own sex, and
for the contradictory slanders on Colorado and its women — she
asserting on the one hand that the complete failure of suffrage
there made it impossible to find a man, woman, or child who was
in favor of it. and in the next breath declaring that all the
corrupt "forses" were allied to retain it!

But it remained for a local character, of th< maJU sex, to
carry oft' the dis'-honors among our anti-agonists. This man. known
as Colonel Irish, with a very shady reputation in the political
world, was not as bashful as Miss Bronson, meeting our cham-
pions in debate, and for his bullying treatment of them and his
insults to women, bringing down upon his head the scorn of the
community.

He was covered with ridicule by the press and public. His
very name and title, it was said, was a misnomer. He was a
"chocolate soldier." and the nationality implied in his surname
repudiated him ! The controversy was extended in the press to
the great profit of our side, in advertisement, and at the final
debate with Dr. Aked, just before election day. the brilliant
logic of the latter "knocked him out in one round," to the grati-
fication of the immense audience.

The formation of the league of male antis. called by them-
selves the "Committee of Fifty." and by us the "Lame Ducks
of Los Angeles." and other pet names, occurred in the early
summer. Their solemn declaration that they "intended to insti-
tute a minutely comprehensive campaign throughout the entire
State," was commented on with terse humor by the Call, in the
words. "0. spooks!"

That everyone of these "ducks" enjoyed a more or less un-
savory record as an enemy of the pevple was the charge made
by our side. However, their amiable program was frustrated by
the formation of the "Men's Equal Suffrage Campaign League"
-of the same city of Los Angeles, with a large membership list of
the most distinguished and "desirable" male citizens.

In their platform the "lame ducks" had asserted that the
"better-to-do" women would not vote, this term, of their own
invention, being understood as a clever euphemism for the para-
sitic rich; a happy compromise in adjectives that would offend
neither the higher-ups nor the lower-downs in the social scale.

46

In the course of her investigations Mrs. Shelley Tolhurst
had found that it was the "machine," which behind the "com-
mittee of fifty," was fighting us, to whom the woman's vote is
like the red flag waved before the bull! She found there, what
we likewise discovered in San Francisco that merchants and
others had been interviewed and informed that only the labor-
ing women would vote, and "business be hurt." The working-
men, on the other hand, had been told that none but "club-
women," would go to the polls, and therefore, capitalistic inter-
ests would be promoted, to the disadvantage of the working man !

These "antis," as a matter of course, were keenly alive to
the interests of the latter class. And strange to say they were
the same people who were so deeply solicitous for the welfare of
the business men. True philanthropists were they indeed ! Worm-
ing their way into the Labor Council they oiled their petition
to appear on their platform, with the flattering statement that
they had "always had the most intelligent questions from thdl
working men. ' '

As it is the custom in the labor unions to give a hearing to all
who apply, they could not refuse, but later Gail Laughlin, Maud
Younger and other speakers were given repeated opportunities to
answer the anti-quated and sophistical arguments.

Literary antics were on a par with public speeches and
press articles. A few samples came our way. One was anony-
mous, and so filled with Latin quotations and other heavy-
weight matter that the business girls of the Votes-For-Women
Club said that their employers would "not waste time read-
ing it."

A vile pamphlet consisting of extracts from the speech
of the notorious Senator Sanford in the last legislature had
been printed and circulated. In the finale he pictures the
suffragette seated atop of the world she has ruined, crying out,
"Didn't I raise hell?" This we might well take as somewhat
of a compliment to our power.

It was this same chivalrous statesman whose definition
a "suffragette is a woman who wants to raise hell, but not
children," (he being particularly fond of allusions to the lower
regions) was wittily paraphrased by the lovely Mrs. Laidlaw
thus: "a suffragette is a woman who wants to raise children, but
not in hell!"

But the best retort on these male anti-agonists is the one
given by dear Susan B. Anthony on her last visit to us. WIumi
asked by a reporter her opinion of a man of the Senator's

47

stripe, she replied thai as his species would soon be extinct, she
would advise canning him for the benefit of posterity.

At suffrage teas and other occasions we had numberless
hand-to-hand encounters with anti-diluvian arguments and
theories. One little lady seemed to be in the habit of swallow-
ing whole, like a hungry dog, all the miscellaneous misinfor-
mation her masculine relatives saw fit to throw at her. She
said her husband had told her that as the workingwomen in
San Francisco were in excess of the men. and would all vote
wrong, and against business, it would never do here !

To reply to this tissue of falsity both in fact and inference
required infinitely more tact, readiness and logic than in a
formal debate. Yet our speaker who accomplished the feat
was afterwards criticised as being "too much like a Salvation
Army ranter!"

Still another woman objected, not so much to "the voting
itself, as to all the rest that goes with it." When pressed to
state what this was, she said she meant "office holding," for
instance. We tried to reassure her on that point, promising
that if overweening ambition did not urge her to seek it, this
dreaded burden would not be thrust upon her against her will !

An intelligent young business man was bitterly opposed
to the granting of the right, but stated that if the iniquitous
measure should pass, he would then insist on his wife's exer-
cising it, if he had to march her to the polls with a shot-gun!
When asked to explain this rather inconsistent threat on his
part — "because she'll have to help beat the south of Market
street vote!" he roared.

"Well, then, let 'em vote! Let 'em do all the hard work!"
exclaimed in disgust another masculine acquaintance, whose
mother, at the father's death, had raised her family, conducting,
besides, the small business. Where lie got the notion that
political rights are connected with hard work, I could not dis-
cover, nor did I wish to make the matter too personal. So I
contented myself with reminding him that the European peas-
ant woman, yoked to the plow with the oxen, did not possess a
vote.

The butcher with whom I had been dealing roared like a
mad bull at sight of my badge — a yellow, not a red flag! "If
my wife wanted to vote. I'd kick her out of the house," he
declared. "A man of your sort will never know what his wife
is thinking," I replied, as calmly as I could to this outburst.

48

"But I will tell you what I am thinking; that is, that you are
the partner who should be kicked out."

A hairdresser, of foreign birth, assailed me in a store with
a torrent of insolent abuse that took my breath away. "You
think you 're mighty smart to try and get us women to vote ! ' '
she cried, with a coarse, sneering laugh. "Why, the rich
women that come here don't care a thing about it;" (not a
newsy item, that) "nor neither do I! The women have got
too much to say now," etc., etc.

I told her that I fully agreed with her as to the last state-
ment, in respect to certain individuals at least. "So you had
better set the rest a good example," I added, "and shut up!"

A gentleman in the manufacturing line, from Philadelphia,
whom I met at a family dinner party, informed me that I had
been on a pedestal all my life (I had never been aware of it
myself) ; and, if the amendment carried, would certainly take
a terrible tumble therefrom into the mud of political life. No
man, he said, honored and respected woman more than he,
etc., etc.

"Mr. ," I said, "half an hour ago I heard you re-
mark, in the presence of these young people, that a man did
not forfeit your respect, even when he 'boozed' a great deal.
Therefore, I know how to value this respect of yours, and even
at the risk of losing it, if you will pardon me for saying so, I
prefer the vote."

We had been told that the men's clubs were "solid against
us." This was not surprising. These same fashionable club-
men, at the time of the "graft prosecutions." boasted loudly
of wearing indictments "like bouquets in their button holes."
One of them, when summoned as a juror, brazenly declared that
as Mr. Patrick Calhoun belonged in his set, he "would not find
him guilty under any circumstances whatsoever!"

The "see-saw argument," embodying the notion that when
one sex goes up the other goes down, was one we had to meet
"once in so often." It is, as its name implies, the product of
a certain wobbly structure of the brain cells, which neither
logic nor fact could remedy.

The "bad woman" argument, thrown at us persistently
towards the last by antis driven into this corner, made our
blood boil. We decided to answer it (privately, as it was
given) somewhat after the following fashion:

"Who is responsible for the 'bad woman?' We say society
is. Now good women decline to pay doubly for her — and

49

society's — sin. The vote — if she votes — will not do her, or
society, any harm. It cannot harm society, for she will have to
voir fin- the same candidates yon and I vote for. There is no
'had woman' ticket! It can only do her good, as it will do other
women, and at any rate, she has as good a right to vote as the
rest of ns! And, moreover, (as a 'squelcher*) we will agree to
look out for the had woman, if yon men will take care of the
had men. And our job is going to be a 'snap' compared to
yours ! ' '

But the most difficult of all to deal with was the "expedi-
ency" argument. Foes of our own households, in many cases
sincere, used this anti-democratic plea, admitting the "abstract
right," but urging that "we have too many voters now," and
there should be a "property qualification;" masked in the still
more insidious phrase, "a stake in the government."

It seems, then, that "abstract right" and justice have
naught to do with the state. Accordingly, that mighty sentence
in the Book of Books should be altered to suit modern condi-
tions, and would then read: ilThe state which is founded on
inexpediency shall not endure!"

Pray, gentlemen, at what sum would you set this property
stake? One hundred dollars was named to me on one occasion.
Very well. Let us see. All financiers, high and low; gamblers,
"gold-brick and bunco men," ward heelers, white-slavers, could
produce that much ! The only classes excluded would be a few
artists, Bohemians, tramps and inmates of hospitals and poor-
houses, most of whom don't vote anyhow, along with a lot of
poor slaves of the mill and mine, whose pay envelopes read six
dollars and seventy-five cents per week !

Is the sum too low? Then let us suppose a thousand dol-
lars to be the test of American manhood and womanhood. Quite
a number in my own circle of acquaintance, and constituting
throughout the country a considerable class — educators, humani-
tarians, public benefactors — many being the posterity of those
who gave their life-blood that the nation might live, do not
possess one thousand dollars in the world. They could not vote !

An attempt was made during the summer, to have window
displays in the leading dry-goods stores of the cities about the
bay. In Berkeley the proprietors had given their consent, and
preparations were well under way, when, as they told the suf-
fragists, the opposition had interfered, and threatened to with-
draw their patronage.

50

One leading underwear establishment in San Francisco
had its window all prettily arranged, with yellow satin ribbon
drawn through the "lingerie," when a similar visitation of the
angels from the other side caused the proprietor to withdraw
both the ribbons and his promise !

The manager of another establishment told our committee
that he would still keep his word, although he had been like-
wise subjected to anti-pa thic treatment for the yellow disease,
provided we were willing that the other window should be given
over to the "antis," as they had stipulated.

We told the manager that we might agree to this arrange-
ment, on condition that we were allowed to suggest a suitable
style of decoration, for instance, a figure of the goddess em-
blematic of our cause, blind in one eye only, and this one black-
ened as a result of an encounter with a Big Business Joss
beside her.

Or, another touching, that is, anti-pathetic, emblem, we
thought, would be that of Liberty, garbed in black, weeping,
prostrate on the tomb of Democracy. We told the manager that
we were generous enough to throw in these suggestions to the
opposition, free of charge, but he only smiled a deprecating smile,
and we heard nothing more of the matter.

Through the generosity of Mrs. Mary McHenry Keith, the
College League had been able to achieve the finest "coup" of
the campaign.

Billboards everywhere throughout the city, on the routes of
the street cars, and even raised on high over the bridge at the
Oakland mole, proclaimed in letters of enormous size, visible
for half a block. Justice To California Women; Vote Yes to
Amendment Four, while in smaller print, at the bottom, were
such mottoes as "Give your girl the same chance as your boy,"
and others, alternating on different placards.

It was a "sight for sore eyes" indeed. But these same eyes
of ours became sore again at the sight, just a few days before
election, of "anti" placards right alongside ours, which in
lurid letters of "revolutionary" red called on the "people" to
"Vote No, as Home-Loving Women Do Not Want the Ballot."

Just how many women of the home-keeping variety (re-
stricted in San Francisco to suffragists, and the wives of the
poorest laboring class, who rarely get a chance to leave them) had
"chipped in" to pay for these placards, or perhaps put them up
with their own fair, home-loving hands, we could well conjec-
ture !

51

The Beast in our Jungle had Ix-min to show his teeth, and
on Monday, October 10th. he bi1 and tore in a full-page adver-
tisement of misquotations from Mrs. Oarrie Chapman Catt, Anna
Howard Shaw, and others, which appeared in two out of the
three morning "moral engines'' of our city.

This vicious attack on our cause and its heroines aroused
two members of ihe Votes-For- Women Club, who went to the
office of the Chronicle, and stopped the paper. The clerk, stung
by their taunts, declared in defense of his employ. -rs. that they
could not refuse the ad., for which they had been paid the
sum of five hundred dollars.

"0. certainly, and I suppose you'd all sell your very souls
for that!'' replied the irate suffragist, whereal he seized the copy
he had shown them, twisted it up, and cast it on the floor.
''That's right: it's what should be done to the whole edition!"
she added, as they left the place.

52

The WWl-Windup

For the Lord
On the whirlwind is abroad:
In the earthquake He lias spoken :

He has smitten with His thunder

The iron walls asunder,
And the gates of brass are broken.

John G. Whittier.

Our "whirlwind campaign" increased steadily in violence
until it became at the end a veritable cyclone. Among the most
notable events of these last few months were those which indi-
cated without doubt that the politicians. ' ' as usual, ' ' were ' l turn-
ing us down."

To the great disappointment of those who were constitution-
ally optimistic, ours did not appear on the list of preferred
amendments of the twenty-six printed and sent out by the Re-
publican party to all the voters of the State. Nor did Governor
Johnson, in his campaign tour in behalf of the initiative, refer-
endum and recall, make any mention of this superlatively im-
portant measure!

The Governor had kept the letter of his word to us at the
Legislature, but perhaps it required more moral courage than
even a Hiram Johnson, credited with "smashing the machine,"
is supposed to possess, to have thus proven himself a true "in-
surgent" and progressionist by continuing to stand by us to the
end.

The matter of raising the "sinews of war" had from the
first been a grave problem. "Times were hard," so it was said,
and the moneyed interests, with many honorable exceptions, sol-
idly opposed to us. The wife of one of the multi-millionaire
bankers of the country was appealed to after a personal letter in
which she had avowed herself "interested in the movement."
with a request for a small "sinew." which contribution would, if
she desired, be kept secret. But she answered only by silence.

A few persons connected with big business and the liquor
interests did this giving anonymously, but the witty saying to
the effect that ' ' the Lord showed how little He thought of money

53

by the kind of people he gave it to," was well demonstrated in
our community.

The ''National" contributed generously to our funds, the
proceeds from an "Author's Reading" and a "Self-Denial
Week" being sent to the organizations doing state work, and de-
voted to the fund for speakers from the East. These organiza-
tions were fairly well "set up." the pocket books of the "Po-
litical Equality" of Los Angeles, the "Slate" and others being
the most plethoric.

Five hundred dollars had been raised at a rally in aid of the
"State" fund, held at the Palace Hotel, under the auspices of
the Equal Suffrage League of San Francisco. The Susan B.
Anthony Club had held a bazaar, which made three hundred dol-
lars, at the home of Mrs. Mary Simpson Sperry.

Private persons in the East sent various sums of money, and
as a matter of course collections were taken up at the mass meet-
ings, which usually netted a good surplus over expenses. Aver-
age dues of leagues and clubs were one dollar per year, one or
two having no dues at all.

The financial reservoirs of the College and the Club Women's
Leagues were at high-water mark, their revenues reaching well
into the thousands. Other organizations were not by any means
so able-bodied, and these were obliged to toddle along as best they
might, helped out by a few generous ones in their own ranks.

Among local suffragists Mrs. Mary MeHenry Keith was our
fairy god-mother, contributing three thousand dollars to the cam-
paign as the climax of her liberality of many years in this re-
spect. Mrs. Elizabeth L. Watson, Mrs. Mary T. Gamage, Mrs.
Clara Foltz and others strengthened the weak sinews of their
respective organizations, making good the deficit in the funds by
personal self-denial.

There were many interesting events during the summer.
One of these wras the excursion to Sacramento in a special train
during the State Fair. The credit for this undertaking belongs
to Mrs. Romie Hutchinson. The suffragists stormed the capital
and with a grand rally and an automobile parade turned the tide
for the amendment.

A Fourth of July celebration was held by the Los Angeles
suffragists. On that occasion the authorities raked out some old
ordinance forbidding political speeches in the public park. The
suffragists, however, cleverly got around this prohibition by sing-
ing the suffrage song. "Beloved California." with its stirring re-
frain. "Hurrah, hurrah, the vote will make us free !" causing the
welkin to ring.

54

At the Cherry Festival in San Leandro the Oakland Amend-
ment League had a suffrage booth, with all the accompaniments
of decorations, literature, "Equality Tea," etc. This tea was a
special brand for the campaign, manufactured for the Woman
Suffrage Party and used by the other organizations for the bene-
fit of the funds and for publicity.

An out-of-door fete and woman's pageant was held in Pied-
mont, another country suburb of Oakland, by the College Leagues
of all the bay cities. It was, of course, a large and most success-
ful affair.

Mrs. Rose M. Baruch had charge of the Social Committee for
the Political Equality League of Los Angeles, and had given her
entire time for one year and a half to the work. During the sum-
mer numerous functions and "society stunts" were given, and
aroused large numbers of women heretofore in a comatose con-
dition. A Garden Party, attended by one thousand persons, was
given in the Italian Gardens.

Card parties, neighborhood teas, church and club meetings
were held with great frequency by this League, and other organ-
izations of the State as well. The Club Women's Franchise
League gave a series of teas, holding these at its headquarters
and also at the homes of members.

These suffrage teas proved so popular that the example was
imitated by all the minor leagues and clubs everywhere around
the bay and in the interior towns. Some woman would volunteer
to act as hostess, and the club would invite the guests, and pro-
vide the refreshments.

On Admission Day we had a beautiful suffrage float in the
parade, which was arranged and carried out by the Wage Earn-
ers' League, Miss Maud Younger, Mrs. Ed. H. O'Donnell, Mrs.
Louise La Rue and others participating in costume as women of
the different trades and professions.

A series of hotel meetings were conducted by the Equal Suf-
frage League of San Francisco. All the leading hotels of the cUj-
were approached in this way, the meeting being advertised in
the hotel, and held in its largest parlors or dining hall, with the
best local speakers. Mrs. Goodman Lowenthal was chairman of
this committee.

Lantern slide exhibitions were held at some of the vaudovillp
houses — wherever we could get permission — and at one or two
moving picture shows in the "Mission." The work of preparing
the slides was done and donated to the cause by Miss Ida Diser-
enz, a local musician and artist.

55

Automobile tours were conducted by the "college," "club-
women" and others throughout the interior. The College
League had a special car, called the Blue Liner, which held
college girls who performed various "suffrage stunts" for the

edification and conversion of the country-folk.

Early in September an Election Day Committee for San
v Francisco was formed, composed of two delegates from each
club and League, with Miss (i',\\\ Laughlin as chairman. It
began its important work immediately. The securing of volun-
teer workers and watchers for every precinct in the city w;is
alone n herculean task. Special headquarters had to he provided,
where paid clerks as well as volunteer workers were constantly
occupied. The undertaking had to be financed, and mass meet-
ings held, especially for the purpose of this committee.

Mrs. Rose M. French. Mrs. Mary T. Gamage, Mrs. Helen
Hall, Mrs. Ella C. Bennett. Mrs. Romie Hutchinson. Mr-.
Geneva Wale, Mrs. Dorothy Harnden, Mrs. Constance Dean,
Mrs. Ernestine Black. Miss Clara Sehlingheyde, Mrs. Lillian H.
Coffin, Mrs. Arthur Cornwall and Mrs. Oscar dishing were
members of this committee, who served with zealous devotion.

Many of the lodges and religious bodies were addressed.
The B'nai B'rith Order held a joint meeting of all branch
lodges for this purpose, though "political" subjects are barred
out by the rules, through the interest of Mr. Otto Irving AY

Post Card Day was a great success. Ten thousand new
cards, specially issued by the College League, with the printed
notice in regard to Amendment Four, were all sold out, as well
as a large number of all the other campaign cards. Prettily
costumed young saleswomen of the different leagues stood at the
chief traffic points, with golden bannerettes, offering their wares.

During the last week the College League maintained special
headquarters in a small vacant store on upper Market street,
where the passer-by was lured within and won by the fine display
of pennants and literature to vote for the amendment. It
attracted the attention of hundreds who had never heard of
the subject, impossible as this latter idea appeared to us. Miss
Dora T. Israel had charge of this very effective work.

Open-air meetings were begun rather timidly at first, but
soon all caught fire with this form of propaganda, and working
women, college women, club women and home women alike were
speaking from automobiles, and even soap boxes, to the "man
in the street."

He liked it, evidently, and stood about by hundreds, prefer-
ring the women speakers, as more of a novelty ! Men speakers

56

always accompanied the party, however, and in the Latin quarter
we had the editor of the Italian paper and others to address
these people in their own language.

The behavior of the crowd was perfectly respectful, atten-
tive a'nd interested. Of course, we were well aware that this
did not always mean conversion, for the temper of San Fran- '
ciscans is "free and easy/' tolerant and curious. When the
crowd grew too large to hear the loudest-voiced speaker, workers
would alight from the machine, and. circulating on the outer
edge, offer arguments, leaflets and buttons, all free!

These street meetings were held, both afternoon and even-
ing, during the last week of the campaign, all the different clubs
and leagues conducting their own. separately, in different parts
of the city. Sometimes two or more would form into line, and
make a sort of triumphal tour down the main thoroughfares.

Hailing each other with happy shouts, the brilliant coloring
of our decorations. Votes for Women banners and pennants
flying, military music from flutes and cornets ringing out on
the still autumn air. made it all seem like a carnival parade in
some European city.

How well the public interest had been worked up in this
"whirlwind campaign" was shown at our monster rally on
Thursday evening, October 6, when San Franciscans began to
go to suffrage meeting's at seven o'clock. It was a far and a happy
cry from the days told of in the first pages of my story, when
the subject of suffrage was "under a social ban."

Dreamland Rink (termed by the antis an "appropriate place
for the suffragettes") was filled to overflowing long before eight
o'clock, and a large corps of police maintaining order. One of
these told me that there were 8,000 persons, inside and out, the
largest crowd ever gathered in San Francisco, except during the
visit of Ulysses S. Grant.

The speakers, including all the noted ones, both men and
women, an aggregation that could not be equaled in the West,
were escorted in turn by the stalwart guardians to repeat their
addresses to the crowd in the street, which filled it to the extent
of half the block. And truly, they seemed inspired under the
moonlight.

A band, with fireworks, was stationed at the lower corner
of the street.

This magnificent meeting was managed by members of the
College League, young matrons heretofore leading a life purely
social and domestic. They had a large force of young girl ushers,
clad in the prettiest of gowns, and with dainty collection baskets,

MRS. F.LLEN CLARK SARGENT

57

mttons, fancy badges and ping, and pennants, who threaded
cheir way through the crowd, performing their duties with ease

ind skill.

The grand climacteric was the last open-air m eting at
rnion Square, that spot almost historic in our cause this cam-
aign, when Lillian Nordica, standing in the automobile, and

raving our banner with a grand, exultant gesture, sang th-
ong of the Banner, with words of her own. "Flash the news
rom AVest to East, that your women are free!"

Two of our noblest knight-errants. just at this time, oil the
•v.- (if victory, went to join our lost Leaders. .Mr. William Keith,
me of the world's greatest, and California's best-loved artist,
ind Mrs. Ellen Clark Sargent, had in very i\m\ and truth, ridden
'till eternity," with no thought of "after recompense." on the
great quest of their "imagined star!"

The flags of the city were placed at half-mast for Mrs.
Sargent, the first time in the history of San Francisco that this
honor had been paid to a woman, and a beautiful memorial
service was held in Union Square, all suffrage societies and lead-
ing persons of the community participating.

Our activities were doubled and trebled at this time, as
under the stimulus of the bracing sea breezes and the nearness
of the fateful day, we worked like very fiends, until it seemed
that after the intense nervous strain of months, those slender
wires that bear the life-currents were going to snap.

There were committee meetings of the various executive
bodies every morning, parlor meetings and suffrage teas in the
afternoons, besides all the work at headquarters that never
stopped, even on Sundays; district, street and mass meetings
every evening.

Truly did it seem a rank injustice that the same few hands
and brains must do it all; must conceive the plans and execute
them, administer the inadequate war fund after begging it by a
process resembling that of extracting teeth; must overdraw on
their own precious vital forces in doing routine clerical work
that should have been hired, putting forth at the same time that
mishtv effort of brain, heart and soul, that all the bank lulls
of the antis could not have bought.

Whole classes of women, the best fitted of all to render
practical service to the cause, had been debarred by the very
cact of their employment in business and the professions. Xow,
t the last recruits came forward in response to the urgent need,
but the directing of untrained workers is often more difficult than
doing it oneself.

58

Moreover, it is inevitable that in the main such work has to
oe finished by these same hands, hearts and brains that have
directed it from the first. Heavy rush orders for literature
came in at the last from the country districts, and the small
staff at state headquarters toiled sometimes far into the night.
Here they might be found any evening during these last days,
after having snatched a hasty bite at a cafeteria by way of
dining — these women, who were grandmothers — one of them
napping on the couch, while the rest worked on, in hushed voices,
beside her.

Alas, that Nature cares nothing for ' ' Causes, ' ' and the sins
against her, though committed for the weal of the race, must be
expiated in physical suffering, even unto death. No wonder that
serious attacks of illness, in many cases, should have followed
''after the battle," one dear lady having indeed atoned to her
outraged and jealous mother, for her knight-errantry to her
sisters !

It is to these "few who always do the work," as we are
so complacently told, that the women of California are today
indebted for their political freedom. For, while the younger
generation and the new converts brought to the movement fresh
vigor, hope and enthusiasm, still it was by the genius of eternal
patience, the wise leadership, the political sagacity and statecraft,
the self-sacrifice of many years, that the battle was won.

59

Light!

•■ What shall I say, bravi Admiral, say,

If we sight naught but seas at dawnt"
"Why, you shall say, at break of day,

Sail on, sail on: sail on and on!"

Then, pale and worn, la h pt his </< ck,

And peered through darkness. Ah, that night

Of all dark nights! And. then, a speck;
A light? A light! A light! A light!

— Joaquin Miller.

To our own "poet of the Sierras" are we Californians and
the world indebted, for these words so inspiring to all bold
adventurers on the Sea of Progress. October 10, 1911, proved
to be the greatest day of my life, and may also be considered
as one of the greatest days in the life of my community, my
state, and my country.

For it was the day on which the ultimate expression of the
right of private judgment, that supreme victory won by man in
his spiritual struggle throughout the ages past, became fixed in
the law of our state. It dawned in fair beauty, and we workers
were up with the dawn, pacing our sidewalk decks and looking
out — over the sea !

AYe remained at our posts of duty, the one hundred-foot
limit from the polls, until relieved, handing to each voter the
special circular printed for election day, and having a word with
him when deemed advisable, on the subject of Amendment Four.

Numerous lunch-stations at private homes served dainty and
bountiful refreshment to the weary workers — when the latter
were not too absorbed in their duties to get any lunches at all !

Besides the regularly-appointed workers, there were many
impromptu volunteer aides. The California Club had omitted its
regular meeting in honor of ''the day." and a small corps of
members of its Executive Board, with Mrs. Lovell White, the
president, took up their position on the steps of the clubhouse.

60

From this point of vantage they darted out like so many
spiders at the men who passed by, running out into the middle of
the street, and hailing the drivers of the wagons. Leaning for-
ward, with hand to ear, these would shout back that thev had
' ' voted for the women ! ' '

The day was balmy, with an atmosphere of the most perfect
peace ; no outward sign of the turmoil of the spirit, the conflict
of wills that we knew existed, save in a few experiences, of a dis-
tinctly humorous nature.

One Italian ran up to a worker, crying out for "ticket!"
with hand outstretched. But it was not our ticket he wanted, for
on being handed one, with a glance at the contents, he tossed it
away, highly indignant, ejaculating the words "Go devil!"

Several of the ladies were advised to "go home" and "wash
the dishes," with variations on this anti-quated theme so fa-
miliar to the suffragist.

One little girl who hung about with childish curiosity, on
having the matter explained to her. was at once converted, and
exclaimed, ' ' 0. dear, my papa has voted already, and I know he
didn't vote for us — but I'm going to run right home and ask him
to come down and do it now ! ' '

One worker, a woman with six children, after caring prop-
erly for them all, and while the elder ones were in school, took
the three youngest to the polling. place with her, and remained
nearly all clay.

District captains and officials of our Committee made the
tour of the city in motor-cars, giving out instructions, encourage-
ment and supplies of leaflets. Reports were so conflicting, how-
ever, that it was impossible to form a judgment.

From authentic sources of information furnished members
of the Committee, it was learned that there had been fraud on a'
large scale, in the North Beach district, instigated by one of the
most notorious corruptionists of the state.

The Examiner, influenced no doubt by the eleventh hour con-
version of Mrs. Phoebe Hearst to our cause, had donated Dream-
land Rink to the suffragists for the evening. Not to be outdone,
the Chronicle had offered the use of the Scottish Rite Auditorium
to those "interested in the fate of Amendment Four." (For
"fate" substitute "defeat.")

Those who were neither serving as watchers, nor too "worn
to a frazzle" to stir from home, went to "Dreamland." It was
not tonight, however, the bind of our dreams. Nor was it that
land the great Admiral "peered through darkness" to find. We,

61

too, peered through darkness, and we saw the " light" on the big
screen record a big adverse vote for us.

The meagre returns at that early hour, mostly from the city
precincts, were highly unfavorable. They were greeted by groans
from our side, drowned by cheers from the antis, who seemed to
be in the majority. Moving pictures were to alternate with the
figures of the returns, to till in the intervals, and soothe the im-
patience of the audience.

However, the figures had been quite enough for us — in the
way of moving pictures — so we left. Outside, a fellow who Looked
the "tough," came up and said in a pseudo-respectful manner,
"You've lost, haven't you, ladies'" We replied that it looked
that way, whereupon, as he turned on his heel in evident satisfac-
tion, he uttered the solemn prophecy. "You'll never get it in
California !"

Market Street was thronged with a typical election night
crowd, to watch the returns, and "have a good time"; men,
swaggering along, with cigars in their mouths, and hobbled
women (in more senses than one) on their arms. The returns on
the bulletin-boards for the initiative, referendum and recall were
favorable bevond anvone's wildest hopes, and were cheered lust-
ily.

So was the result on our measure, the most fundamental of
all the twenty-six. the most vital in its relation to human welfare,
and the only one "snowed under!" The defeat of Amen dim id
Four was likewise cheered.

The chaste moon arose, and shone on the scene, as she had
done on our great night of Thursday ; but now she seemed to look
coldly on us. and on those bulletin-boards, as though in serene
indifference to our fate.

At Election Committee headquarters all was gloom. Clos-
eted in the inner office were Miss Laughlin and her staff, glued
to the telephone, and without, a few sat at the table, their heads
bowed in their hands. An autoload of committee-women had
just arrived from their rounds, with reports from watchers.
There was no "good word."

It was now long after eleven. Before the Chronicle building
stood the remnant of the gay throng of two hours ago ; men whose
faces bore the brand of vice and evil unmistakably. The latest
and total returns from all the precincts in the state had just been
placed on the screen, and were greeted with hearty and unani-
mous howls of delight from this choice delegation of citizens.

62

Then, for their further edification, appeared on high a
legend, writ large and black on the white canvas : " What Is Mrs.
Cat Saying Now?"

I was wondering whether the quaint wit and originality of
this sentiment would be adequately appreciated by this "bunch,"
and thinking what a pity there were not more of the "better-to-
do" from Nob Hill and Pacific Avenue among them, when a
man 's voice asked loudly ' ' What the devil does that mean ? ' '

I did not enlighten him. Hurrying along the lonely, un-
lighted street, on the way to my car, I heard masculine voices be-
hind me, engaged in a conversation they evidently did not care
to make private.

' - They 've got no homes themselves, d 'em, ' ' one was say-
ing to his companion, "and they want to destroy other people's."

I turned around quickly, facing them. ' ' I beg your pardon,
gentlemen. Are you speaking of the suffragists?" They, too, j
had stopped short, and the sheepish look on their faces answered.

"If so, I want to let you know that you are mistaken. We
do not desire to destroy homes. But we do desire — and intend —
to have a voice in our own government. If you men continue to
withold it from us ' ' — I wheeled again, and walked rapidly to
the corner, and the approaching car. flinging the last words back
at them over my shoulder — "well take it!"

That night to all of us — those who. pale and worn, remained
on deck, peering through darkness, and those who went below
and tried to let sleep knit up the raveled sleeve of care — it seemed
as though naught but "shoreless seas" lay before us!

But. determined to put a good face on defeat, next day, we
dressed in our best, including our badges and regalia, for the
council of war in the afternoon at State Headquarters. The
latest edition of the Bulletin, one of our strongest supporters, had
declared our defeat by eight thousand votes.

One reporter, stating that the Los Angeles women had "left
the polls in despair" early on the evening before, burst into
poetic verbiage, thus: "California Suffragists Sing Their Swan
Song."

The State Board had intended, in the event of victory, to
send a delegation to the National Convention at St. Louis, on the
17th of October. But now, fired with the same dauntless spirit
that had animated the great discoverer, our intrepid leaders de-
clared that they would remain, and devote the time, money and
strength to renewing the battle!

Resolutions to this effect were passed, and given to the press.
A round-robin letter was drafted and sent out to all the suffrage

63

organizations throughout the state, by our Admiral, Mrs. Eliza-
beth Lowe Watson, whose "good words" were in effect those «»t'
Columbus to his mate — "On. sail on!"

Mrs. Keith and myself crossed the bay together. This time
we ^tood, literally, on the deck, and peered through the darks
if doubt, if not despair. After our wonderful campaign, which
had aroused the admiration of even the men oppose^ to as, this

/(.niing after the growth of public sentiment for sixteen years —
after all the predictions that had been made by tie- men who
'knew politics." of victory, "three to one" — we had gained but
five thousand votes over the result in '96!

At my sister's home in Berkeley I was ordered the rest-cure,
and the order straightway executed. The sweet air of my sleep-
ing-poreh. and utter exhaustion, made this night, darkest of all
to the watchers, pass for me in blissful oblivion — and then, in the
morning, that "speck" of light!

It came to me in my sister's voice, over the telephone, mak-
ing my pulses leap, and in another moment she bounded up the
tairs. three at a stride. It was true ! There was just a ray of
hope; a fighting chance that we would win after all! Returns
slowly coming in from remote country districts — the "cow coun-
ties."' with the handsome majorities in Los Angeles, Fresno and
Santa Clara, had nearly done away with the adverse majority.
Even the city kept showing up better ; Less than two to one against,
it was now.

The oldest "campaigners" had forgotten, in the midst of the
excitement, that the San Francisco precincts went three to one
against last time. Like the mob before the bulletin-boards, we
had deluded ourselves with the notion that our city was the whole
state of California]

Never did the time-worn phrase, "another county heard
from." seem fraught with such happy meaning!

Rest-curing was impossible under the circumstances. The
joy-cure had taken its place. I declared to my doctor-sister, and
arose and returned to my native city, donning my badges and
regalia once more.

A newsboy on the other side, recognizing these, greeted me
with cheer, as he waved his paper at me. "You'se are goin' to
win out!" "Are you glad?" I beamed on him as I took it.
"Ain't I? You bet I ou^hter be! Didn't I put up a five-dollar
gold piece on yez?"

At Committee Headquarters Miss Laughlin and her band,
with flushed and hectic features, were still "working like fiends."
at the telephone and in the council-chamber. We dared not be

64

!0

too sure, or too happy, she said, for the theft of even a very few
votes from each precinct of the state on the official count would
mean the loss of our hard-won victory.

It had been Black Wednesday indeed, when we peered
through darkness. Now today seemed Holy Thursday, as the:
majority in our favor crept slowly up, from a few hundred votes
to three thousand and more !

The farmers and miners of our great, free western state,
lonely toilers doing their own thinking under the sky, had been:
our knight-errants, and found for us that "imagined star."
Everywhere the same story — the plain people beloved by Lin-
coln had saved the day; the denizens of the "upper and lower
slums" alike had been united against us!

We had kept back our womanish tears on that Black Wednes-
day. Xow we gave free rein to our emotions, in both manly and
womanly fashion, with handshaking and back-slapping, as well
as hugging and kissing one another. The women in the street
looked just about the same as ever. We wondered how they
could !

Friday was Columbus Day! And the procession, with its
music and gay colors, marching through the Latin Quarter, must
be celebrating our victory !

On the following Monday our delegation left for St. Louis,
there to be hailed as heroines of the struggle. But the remnant
of our leaders left in the city, and many, many of the rank and
file of the workers were far too weary to celebrate !

A few minor jubilees were held, in the form of mass meet-
ings, and we said goodbye to our splendid helper, Miss Gail
Laughlin, at a rustic fete in the lovely Sutro forest, with basket-
lunches and speeches in the natural amphitheatre.

But not till a month later could we summon the nervous
energy to plan and carry out a celebration of our own on a fit-
ting scale — a big jubilee banquet ; the last and best of all suffrage
banquets held in San Francisco!

It took us some time to get accustomed to being hailed as
"fellow citizens," and we started as though from a dream, and
rubbed our eyes, at the words "new voters," and other allusions
in the press/ One paper called us "the great unknown factor,
who will hold the balance of power in all future political con-
tests in the state."

We had always been "the great unknown," but these re-
spectful designations seemed a great improvement (though per-
haps the "antis" might not agree with us) on the half -sneering

B(

65

iomplimentary ••ladies." and the frankly brutal and eontempt-
iras •'niici'. " Particularly the Latter !

Our sisters, across the wide continent, had with us been
blunged in despair, and raised through hope to the heights of
joy when at lasl had thrilled over the wires thai message: "A
[ighl a light!*'

•'h is the greatesl single advance that the movement in
America has ye1 made." declares Alice Stone Blackwell, our
Knight-errant of New Bnglandj worthy daughter of two lost
lenders of our cause.

••('old type can but poorly express our overflowing joy," she
says. "The victory has carried courage and cheer to lovers of
justice in every country of the civilized globe."

At a banquet of the Massachusetts "Men's League" Francis
J. Garrison became "Methodistical in his outburst of joy at win-
ning that mighty state, of world-wide fame, where at one stroke
the number of women voters with full suffrage is doubled."

He continues: "It is impossible to exaggerate the import-
ance and far-reaehing influence of this conquest!"

Our national organ, the Women's Journal, which gave in its
issue of October 14th — the Jubilee Number — a most beautiful
picture of the statue "Liberty Welcoming the Sixth Star." an-
nounced :

"The joy of New York and Boston suffragists over the vic-
tory in California found vent in two great mass meetings, of a
quality new to women's gatherings."

At Cm- per Union Hall the new six-star banner floated over
the stage, and thousands of women burst into spontaneous cheers
at sight of the new star flashing forth in electric Unlit.

We, the wearied workers who had found that star, could see it
only with our astral eyes, and hear with the ear of the spirit only,
the* joyful shouts •. the splendid poem written for the occasion,
and read by its author, our own Mary Austin; and the singing
of our campaign song — "Beloved California."

66

It Moves, Notwithstanding

I am Liberty, God's Daughter-

My symbols, a law and a torch -
Not a sword to threaten slaughter,

Aot aflame to dazzle or scorch;
But a Light that the world may see,
And a Truth that shall make men free!

John Boyle O'Reilly.

fall, ancl not the spring of £ 4ar anTve I??688- £ Was tha
toe of our lives Pthegre-creatfon of aH tM ^ ""' ^ SPriD8-

festivaf aZ^e1oLr'allthther°n' at, *haTperiod when **
earth and its marvels ifJl ^?* 1celebfates «* renewal of

women's leagues whieh h»™ „„„ VT' u e11 as non-partisan
spirit, in pen Uh. a thry fh,«* ,.?«"<* for their broad

awav^'xpr , f 'CrtS llw\P^ "m,'" th0Usand ",iles
ernment." ' "'"" thl""" e°""tr-v and «">* gw-
lanW^fft^hlf^^r1 Ies«y P«»ed its women,

iakLhetC^-ss,^d,£r stionsi ^tesr^

67

Mrs. Sabclla C. Pease was wheeled to the polls in an invalid's
chair and cast her first ballot at the age of ninety, which was in-
deed to enjoy an "honored old age!"

The bitterly-opposed Times had begun to sound the slogan
long in advance, calling on the women (by the performance of
the unwomanly and contaminating deed; to "rally and save the
city"; which they did, of course, entirely in response to this
highly consistent demand!

We San Francisco women were nut given the opportunity to
exercise our new privilege until some months later. .Meanwhile
we occupied the time in reorganization. The "Club-Women's
Franchise League" was re-christened as the "New Era League,"
led by Mrs. Lillian Harris Coffin. The College Women's League
has been succeeded by the "Civic League of California," which
is forming branches all over the state. Its San Francisco Centre
has tine offices and lecture-room.

The "Votes for Women Club" celebrated its glorious and
happy death in a "wake," and the "Home Club" is now being
organized, with a distinct and unique aim among all the multi-
farious women's bodies of the community, holding evening meet-
ings only; its true raison d'etre being a home of its own which
will be a residence-club for women.

More anti 'cs had been started, in the form of a petition, cir-
culated among men only. Canvasseis were tempted with a fee of
three cents for each signature, but the post-humous crusade met
with little success.

Early in 1912 the State Association held a two days' con-
vention, at which it was decided to continue in existence one
year longer, in order to assist other campaign states. Mrs. Mary
McHenry Keith was elected president.

Mayor Rolph, soon after election, appointed another woman
on the Board of Education. Women have served on juries in
minor cases, and agitation is now going on for their appointment
in the notorious "white slavery" cases, in which the abuses of
justice are so flagrant. A movement for a separate court for
cases involving women is also on foot.

On Valentine's Day we had our "registration tea," con-
ceived and carried out by the Xew Era League. It wa,s a fitting
day for such an event, in every sense, and the day before our St.
Susan's anniversary! It was ideal California winter weather;
sunshine flooded the scene, and the dear saint herself seemed to
smile down upon us from the blue heavens !

"Register Now" was the legend on the black and white ban-
ners, happily displacing the yellow ones on the automobiles

68

loaned for the occasion, in which working girls as well as society
women were conveyed to and from the City Hall returning to the
St. Francis hotel, where the club-women kept "open house" and
served tea, all afternoon,

"Was it a dream ? Son* of us rubbed our eyes, remembering
that time, only one short year and a half ago, when our little band
of insurgent women besieged the registration office with a pseudo-
serious demand to be registered. This time the placard "all citi-
zens must register" would have stated a fact ! This time our re-
quest was not refused !

A force of thirty extia clerks lined the three sides of the big
basement, some of them smiling broadly, in spite of themselves,
at the unwonted circumstances. A large committee from the New
Era League was in attendance to assist the timid ones, and the
whole had the air of a social function.

Later on, the bureau was opened in the evening, until mid-
night. The sight held a certain fascination, to one who had
worked for years for Votes for Women. The basement was
crowded, three rows deep, and an extra room was provided for
the women, with chairs before the long counters.

"It looks as though the women did want to vote, doesn't it?"
I remarked to one of the officials. "Well, I should say!" was his
answer. "Some of 'em have been waiting here since seven
o'clock." (It was then nine-thirty.) There were bunches of
business-women, and family parties. As I left the place, I over-
heard some of these men instructing their women — "They give
you the ballot — and you fold it," etc.

Registrar Zemansky had announced in the press that he
would appoint women as election clerks, wherever qualified, to
the number of one-half of the total for all the precincts. He kept
his word.

On March 28th Mayor Rolph was reported in the press as
declaring that it had been the happiest day of his life — because
the bonds for the civic centre had been carried by a tremendous
majority. It was also one of the happiest days in the lives of a
number of women who are now no longer suffragists, but citizens.

.My precinct was in a foreign quarter, where the total vote
is not large, and at the door of the booth — now no longer "the
ark of the masculine covenant" alone, three officials waited for
me, quite like feminine hostesses on a "day at home"; so that I
\v;is moved to pause and say "Good-dny. fellow-citizens. I've
come to vote."

The dreadful ordeal, which consisted in stamping with the
rubber cross in the "yes" place for the bonds, being gone through

MRS. ELIZABETH LOWE WATSON

I

• :r
r

5*

o

B

17

69

with in about a minute and a half, th thn e men saw me out with
the invitation to "come again tomorr w,n which as do1 at all a
facetious remark, for on the following day the second special
election, on the question of municipal ship 1 1 the telephone

system, was to be held.

"Would that all women were as true to th lr sex as Alice, col-
ored cook in the household of a Berkeley suffragist! Offered a
naif-holiday so thai Bhe might take h r time (which she was wont
Lo take!) about voting, she thus addressed h r astonished mis-
ress:

"No, ma'am! No holiday for me on 'lection day. Not
nuch I ain't goin' to let my doin's prove all them silly folks right
what have said that the women would neglect their house, and
heir children, and their work, to go and vote ! Not much, ma'am !
i'm coin' to put in a good, full day of work, I am. and come
back and git dinner, just the same as I alius do — and vote, be-
sides !

The newspaper accounts said it was "generally conceded that
the women were responsible for the remarkable vote on the
bonds. " In proportion to registration they voted far stronger
than the men. In 100 precincts women cast the first vote. They
were alluded to as "earl} birds, anxious to see how it felt to be
citizens." | Mark the guileless admission!)

The Call said : ' ' The cataclysm did not come. . . . The
day was enlivened by the cracking of just 3702 carefully planned
jokes concerning the 'ladies.' . . . The women did not
linger 'gassing' about the polls, but showed a business-like
>romptness in easting their votes that men can copy without do-
Qg any harm to their businesses. . . . The Mayor and Mrs.
ifolph went together to their polling-place."

Helen Dare, in the Chronicle, now declares that our "anti-

jenist" will now have to swallow a bitter pill, as she "will be

-bliged to do in sheer self-defense what she so valiantly

nd vainly fought against doing! She must march to the music

f her victorious voting sisters, or she will find herself wanting

hat she doesn't get, or getting what she doesn't want!"

But of all these great days for the new woman citizen, the
•eatest. according to the local press, was May 14th. because then
surred the first presidential primary in the state, and the first
jpportunity for its women to participate in national politics.

There is just time, as this modest history is completed, to in-
clude, as is fitting, the novel experience to the writer, of serving
is clerk of election in her precinct, This was in marked contrast
to the terrible visions conjured up by the "antis."

70

Arriving at the polls promptly at a quarter to six, in the
morning, I found my five masculine colleagues assembled there,
in the clean booth built of new, sweet-smelling pine wood, with
all the election paraphernalia on hand, and was duly and prop-
erly introduced.

Glancing around, I saw a vase of flowers on the impromptu
shelf, and was glad that in my haste I had forgotten to bring a
large bunch of calla lilies that I had intended for the booth. One
of the men eoyly confessed to having placed the bouquet there,
and on being asked whether it was the custom he also confessed
that it was not, adding, apologetically, ' ' but we never had a lady
here before."

A number of incidents enlivened the dull proceedings of the
day. One "anti" voted in my precinct, and the means she took
of informing me of the fact was the following : After exercising
the citizen's privilege, won for her at so high a cost, she turned
to me, and exclaimed, "I think it's just awful." And from the
safe vantage ground which by that time she had gained, outside
the booth, she volunteered the further new and startling thesis
that ' ' women didn 't have sense enough to vote. ' '

When I could recover from my astonishment, I advised her
unofficially that she being the best judge of her own capacity, or
lack of the same, it would be well for her, certainly, not to vote
again !

One man vet or. a teamster, was evidently for another reason
incapacitated, for his hand trembled so violently while signing his
name to the roster that he was obliged to desist. Rising, and mut-
tering that he would come back when he "felt better," he returned
some hours later, so restored as to be almost unrecognizable. It
goes without saying that none of the women voters labored un-
der a similar temporary affliction !

The great problem of th^ "antis" was solved that day in my
precinct. To Mrs. Zeila 0. Blake belongs this honor. As simply
and naturally as though from time immemorial it had been the
custom at elections, this lady entered the booth in company with
her husband and a girl baby, which was wheeled by its father in
a go-cart.

In view of anti nightmares and delirium tremens anent the
degradation of the polls, it behooves me here to state, and to make
my solemn affidavit, thai during the fifteen hours of my clerkship
no lady in a drawing-room could have received more courteous
treatment. During all that time not a single profane or coarse
word assailed my ears, such as alas, alas, those members have

71

frequently been "contaminated" with on the streets, in the cars,
::ii<l at the theatre!

Of course, a aative daughter of the Golden West can have
no means of knowing how far inferior in character the men of the
Eastern states may be — except through anti-pathetic testimony.
And. singularly enough, it is we suffragists who are supposed to
be at war with our brother men !

Events have conn/ thronging fast on the greal victory in Cali-
fornia! The granting of equal political rights t<» the women of
China, as is reported, even though coupled with both an educa-
tional and a property qualification, Well deserves to he considered,
as Miss Black well has said, "the most amazing event the Journal
has had to chronicle during its forty years of existence.

Almost does it seem as though on the opposite shore of the
vast Pacific, the voice of Liberty had echoed in thunder-tones, car-
rie by the waves that rec ^l^il from our coast on that great day
of uolumbus, October 13th !

In China, fast-bound in sleep of centuries, land of imme-
morial slumber, woman is at last awake! Mind and foot no more
are shackled. And even in the Orient our sisters of the harems
are raising- the veil, and their brothers no longer stab them to the
heart !

Surely is this spring-tide of the year 1912 destined to be ever
memorable in the world's annals — a true resurrection and re-birth
t<> many peoples and lands. The Lord has said again, as at the
beginning: "Let th<r< b< Light."

On the far borders of that other Sea, where Liberty listens
for her music, occurred on May 4th one of these world-stirring
events that forms a fitting finish for my little chronicle.

There, in that great seaport city of nearly five million souls,
fifteen thousand women marched in a parade, the greatest demon-
stration of united womanhood that the new world has ever seen.

Well might the band have played "Hail the Conquering
Heroines Come" as they marched, a living proof of the poet's
prophecy — of the Woman Soul that leads on and upward!

±hc Girl From Colorado

or

iJte Conversion of Aunty SuxfriJge

An American Votes -For -Women Comedy with a Love Interest

By SELINA SOLOMONS

SUITABLE FOR AMATEURS — Two leading male and three femi ters.

Performed by students of Stanford University, and elsewhere, with great success.
"Better than 'How The "Dote Was Won' " says Sarah Severance, of Gilroy, Cat.

No Royalty in the Campaign States

Send for sample copy

TEN CENTS
NEW WOMAN PUBLISHING COMPANY

773 Bay Street, San Francisco, Cal.

SYNOPSIS.

Constance Wright visits her native state of California, after
the vote is won. and finds her aunty. Mrs. Lavina Suffridge, presi-
dent of the "Sixteenth Century Woman's Club." opposed to tak-
ing part in the coming election, as the Reverend Hawse Chestnut
does not consider it womanly to vote. Ivy Millstone, another
niece of aunty's, is desperately devoted to Professor Ernest Arm-
strong of the University of Stanley. But the young professor
prefers Constance. The Rev. Chestnut has a candidate whom he
desires elected, and. egged on by Constance, he convinces aunty
that his ideal woman is she who does her citizen's duty at the
polls. Aunty is thereupon converted, and promises, at tin same
time, to become Mrs. Chestnut number two. In the last seme.
which takes place at the polls. Aunty. Ivy and the other women
vote. Professor Armstrong succeeds in clearing up the misun-
derstanding, due to Hie ;miiYs of Ivy. between himself and Con-
stance, and in persuading her to remain in California, and con-
tinue to promote the cause of good citizenship and true woman-
hood, as his wife. Iplci^ ^—

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